Crystal Feathers
by Molly Renata
Summary: AU, sequel to To Kill An Angel. After Niflheim was sealed, Lloyd thought the evils of the world to be dead. However, they were in for a surprise... Full summary inside, please R&R. Complete.
1. Reign of Darkness

Crystal Feathers: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after 'To Kill An Angel'

Summary: After Niflheim was sealed, Lloyd thought the evils of the world to be dead. The group split up, expecting peace and quiet to reign around the world.

However, they were all in for a big surprise. Two years after Niflheim was sealed, the rising shadow that once concealed the world began to rise again... and now, Lloyd and the others must go on a journey to uncover the cause of the Rising Shadow and seal it away forever.

Pairings: LloydxColette and ZelosxSheena primarily, with some MithosxOC, YggdrasillxPronyma and GenisxPresea. There will also be hints at SelesxOC, YuanxMartel and KratosxRaine.

Author's Note: For the sake of keeping true to the storyline of Rising Shadow, there will be (as probably expected) very few hints at KxR. This is primarily to avoid offending all those random purists out there. I know that most of the purists will end up hating this story because of a few other pairings, but KxR seems to be the most hated of them.

As you all probably know, I'm a big fan of KxR. It's an official pairing in this storyline, though it will be rather rare. This fanfic will mostly focus on the action, though there will be some fluff inserted here and there.

This fanfic is based two years after 'To Kill An Angel', four years after 'Rising Shadow'. Therefore, Lloyd is 21, Colette is 20, Zelos is 26, Sheena is 23, Genis is 16, Presea is 16, Raine is 27, Abyssion is 27, Leviathan is 20, Seles is 18, Allurya is 8 and Karina is 15.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix.

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Prologue: Reign of Darkness

_Mithos' P.O.V._

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It's been a long time since Niflheim was sealed away. Sometimes I almost feel like we never went on that journey... it's almost impossible to believe that it's been four years now since our first adventure.

But the years have taken their toll on my physical body. Ever since I removed my Cruxis Crystal, I've been aging like any ordinary half-elf would. Even though I've lived for four thousand years, these new years have brought a fresh new start to my life.

I still have yet to tell Karina of my undying love for her. She knows I like her, but she doesn't know just _how_ much I love her. Since my physical body has matured more, I think I might be able to finally form a lifelong bond with someone.

Us seraphim live up on Derris-Kharlan. Even though Lloyd and the others went back to Symphonia, Kratos still stays up here with me and Yggdrasill. Even Yuan has left Symphonia behind, though Martel continues to go around the world seeking all the Exspheres and Cruxis Crystals and seeing if she can free their souls.

But I'm afraid not all is well. Recently I've noticed that there's a significant amount of dark mana concentrated around the crater that marked the Tower of Destruction. It seems almost as if the crater is feeding the shadow, but I'm not entirely sure just how.

Everything seems so foreign to me. I just wish I knew what was going on...

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: That's the prologue. Short, isn't it? Don't worry, the fanfic will get better. ;)


	2. Treacherous Nightfall

Crystal Feathers: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after 'To Kill An Angel'

Summary: After Niflheim was sealed, Lloyd thought the evils of the world to be dead. The group split up, expecting peace and quiet to reign around the world.

However, they were all in for a big surprise. Two years after Niflheim was sealed, the rising shadow that once concealed the world began to rise again... and now, Lloyd and the others must go on a journey to uncover the cause of the Rising Shadow and seal it away forever.

Pairings: LloydxColette and ZelosxSheena primarily, with some MithosxOC, YggdrasillxPronyma and GenisxPresea. There will also be hints at SelesxOC, YuanxMartel and KratosxRaine.

Author's Note: For the sake of keeping true to the storyline of Rising Shadow, there will be (as probably expected) very few hints at KxR. This is primarily to avoid offending all those random purists out there. I know that most of the purists will end up hating this story because of a few other pairings, but KxR seems to be the most hated of them.

As you all probably know, I'm a big fan of KxR. It's an official pairing in this storyline, though it will be rather rare. This fanfic will mostly focus on the action, though there will be some fluff inserted here and there.

This fanfic is based two years after 'To Kill An Angel', four years after 'Rising Shadow'. Therefore, Lloyd is 21, Colette is 20, Zelos is 26, Sheena is 23, Genis is 16, Presea is 16, Raine is 27, Abyssion is 27, Leviathan is 20, Seles is 18, Allurya is 8 and Karina is 15.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 1: Treacherous Nightfall

_Third-Person P.O.V._

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"Dammit!"

Lloyd's sudden outburst awoke Colette, who had been sleeping peacefully in the bed just seconds before.

"What's wrong, Lloyd?" the blonde angel asked, sitting up.

Lloyd seemed to be deep in concentration. "This is not good..." He suddenly looked at Colette. "I've been feeling this weird mana signature from the southwest quadrant of the Iselia continent. That's far away from the Tower of Destruction's ground, and yet it seems there's incredible amounts of dark mana radiating from there." He fell back into concentration. "And that's not the only one either. There's also one just southeast of Meltokio. It seems as though there's some chaotic work going on down there."

"Why are you still awake?" Colette asked. "Normally you'd have been asleep a long time ago."

"I've been tracking the mana signatures," Lloyd replied. "It's really difficult to do it from here, but combined with the power of the Eternal Sword and my Cruxis Crystal, I've been able to locate the dark mana signatures." He suddenly remembered something. "Think of it as a type of radar."

"What can we do?" Colette asked nervously.

"All we can do is wait until tomorrow," Lloyd replied. "It's currently nighttime in Triet, and that's where the more powerful of the two signatures is coming from. It would be a bad idea to ambush a dark creature of any sort at night."

"Yeah, you're right," Colette said. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Lloyd said. "Just wait until tomorrow, and we'll sort everything out."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Suddenly, the entire city of Welgaia was caught in a massive earthquake. The city was thrown into chaos as the floating platforms shook, an action caused by the shockwaves from the earthquake. It seemed almost as if the whole of Derris-Kharlan was shaking, but the epicenter was located just beneath Welgaia.

Once the shaking stopped, Mithos exploded out of his bed and started wandering the halls of Vinheim, searching for any possible clues. At the same time, Kratos was patrolling the second floor catwalk and making sure nothing funny entered the structure through the warp.

It was Kratos who first realized the cause of the earthquake. There were two Ktugach and an Adulocia on the first floor of the structure, and they were being led by some mysterious dark-cloaked human. Kratos leaped down, using his wings to stabilize himself on the way down, and came face to face with the cloaked figure.

**abc**

"Oh, I see you've become quite accustomed to the cold air of Derris-Kharlan," the human said in a rough, rather unpleasant voice. "You need to learn to endure the warm air of Symphonia before you can defeat _me_."

"I lived on Symphonia for most of my life as a human," Kratos growled, glaring defiantly at the human. "I'd rather not experience such a foolish attitude from my foe."

"Oh, I see you're a _sensible_ bastard," the human said. "Hard to find _those_ around here these days."

"You're not going to get away with this," Kratos said, anger gleaming in his eyes. "I'm going to tear you to pieces before you can touch any of us!"

The seraph swiftly brought his sword up in a massive upward stroke, leaping into the air. At the peak of his altitude, he aimed the sword down and launched a fireball, which struck the enemy dead-on.

The human flinched, but otherwise had no reaction.

Kratos landed gracefully before his opponent, sword held out in front of him. "If you desire to live, I advise you give up now."

The human merely chuckled. "I don't think you're going to get away with fighting me off." He drew a staff and slammed one end into the ground. "**_Chaos Pulse!_**"

The dark shockwave caught Kratos completely off-guard. The seraph reeled, flying into the wall. Seeing his window of opportunity, the human escaped through the warp, leaving the Ktugach and Adulocia behind to fight off the angels.

At that moment, two angel swordians and three angel spearmen floated into the room, along with Mithos.

"What happened?" one of the angels asked, her gaze pointedly on Kratos.

"Vinheim was attacked," Kratos replied. "Some human I couldn't get the name of." He gestured rather annoyedly to the monsters. "And he left _these_ behind."

"They pose no threat," Mithos said. "Just leave it all to me."

Mithos teleported in front of the Adulocia and gave it a massive psionic blast right in its face, knocking it back. Then, he turned and performed Prism Feathers, which took out the first Ktugach.

At that moment, one of the angel spearmen loosed Spark Wave. The spell struck the Adulocia dead-on, bringing it down rather rapidly.

"We can handle _this_," the first angel swordian said. "Don't worry about it, we have it covered."

And with that, the other angel swordian cast Ice Tornado, finishing off the other Ktugach.

"We have to research this opponent," Kratos said abruptly. "If they have the ability to summon shadow guardians like those, who _knows_ what they could do?"

"We'll figure it out in time," Mithos said. "I'm sure Zelos will be able to get to the bottom of it with his mysterious machinery."

As Mithos and the other angels exited the room, Kratos couldn't help but think, _I don't think Zelos will be able to help us here..._

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

"Whoo, that was pretty rough," Zelos said, shaking his head as if trying to clear an unpleasant thought. "Can't say I've ever experienced a magnitude 9 earthquake here before."

"It was a lot weaker than that," Sheena said. "Probably, at most, a 7. But it was a pretty big one, you're right."

"We just gotta avoid getting into another sticky situation," Zelos said. "Now that I've lost my pact with Verius, I don't think I'll be able to handle the pressure."

"You lost your pact with Verius?" Sheena looked confused.

"Yep," Zelos said. "He only made a pact with me to help me seal Niflheim. The vow was fulfilled, so I lost the pact."

Sheena looked bewildered. "I didn't know that once the vow was fulfilled, you lost the pact..."

"Like I said, it was a temporary one," Zelos said. "Remember, Verius makes pacts with no one. Or at least, not permanent ones. Once he makes a pact, he stays with that summoner until the vow is fulfilled, and then goes back to whatever he's doing. The other Summon Spirits keep their pact with the summoner long after the vow has been fulfilled."

"Oh, thank you," Sheena said. "For a moment there I thought you'd implied I lost the pacts I had with the other Summon Spirits."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Zelos muttered. "Let's hurry up and get back to sleep, will we?"

Sheena muttered something under her breath, clearly annoyed at Zelos' impatience.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: In case you're wondering, they all returned to Vinheim for the time being so that plans could be made for whatever the hell is going on down below.

A little explanation and a little action. And a little radar, as well as seeing the smart side of Lloyd. :P


	3. Betrayal of Fire

Crystal Feathers: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after 'To Kill An Angel'

Summary: After Niflheim was sealed, Lloyd thought the evils of the world to be dead. The group split up, expecting peace and quiet to reign around the world.

However, they were all in for a big surprise. Two years after Niflheim was sealed, the rising shadow that once concealed the world began to rise again... and now, Lloyd and the others must go on a journey to uncover the cause of the Rising Shadow and seal it away forever.

Pairings: LloydxColette and ZelosxSheena primarily, with some MithosxOC, YggdrasillxPronyma and GenisxPresea. There will also be hints at SelesxOC, YuanxMartel and KratosxRaine.

Author's Note: For the sake of keeping true to the storyline of Rising Shadow, there will be (as probably expected) very few hints at KxR. This is primarily to avoid offending all those random purists out there. I know that most of the purists will end up hating this story because of a few other pairings, but KxR seems to be the most hated of them.

As you all probably know, I'm a big fan of KxR. It's an official pairing in this storyline, though it will be rather rare. This fanfic will mostly focus on the action, though there will be some fluff inserted here and there.

This fanfic is based two years after 'To Kill An Angel', four years after 'Rising Shadow'. Therefore, Lloyd is 21, Colette is 20, Zelos is 26, Sheena is 23, Genis is 16, Presea is 16, Raine is 27, Abyssion is 27, Leviathan is 20, Seles is 18, Allurya is 8, Mithos is 16 and Karina is 15.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 2: Betrayal of Fire

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A young Ktugach crouched in the underbrush, its hellish red eyes gazing intently upon its target. Its forelegs, which had constructed themselves in its evolution from ktugachling to Ktugach around a month ago, were hidden beneath a layer of plant matter, while its long tail swished out behind it in anticipation.

Its target was a young winged dragon, one that was attacking a group of humans. It had heard of this group of humans numerous times before, but never really thought of them until now. Its mind ran wild with thoughts, recognizing that these were the same humans that killed its master.

But its master was no more. That damned bastard deserved to die after all he'd done to the world of Symphonia. And that was the most intense thought in the Ktugach's mind at this moment. A friend of Nebilim had decided to take over the Age of Lifeless Beings again, reviving it with his own cunning plans. And this Ktugach sought revenge on its master for forcing it to undergo the cruel treatment it had endured.

The creature leaped from the underbrush, the Crystal of the Underworld on its chest glowing. Wings of pure flame burst from its back as it prepared to attack.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Lloyd was suddenly caught up in a tornado of pure wind as the winged dragon attacked. He managed to evade too many bad hits, and retaliated with Psi Tempest, which caused the dragon to flinch.

Kratos' Fierce Demon Fang did little to the dragon. However, the Hell Pyre that immediately followed knocked it back temporarily, burning its side. It got back up and lashed at Kratos with its tail, sending him flying into a nearby cliff.

Identical Double Demon Fangs hailed from the direction of Mithos and Zelos. The four shockwaves struck the dragon almost simultaneously, forcing it to fall back again. However, it got back up, and retaliated by creating another tornado around the attackers.

Much to the surprise of the others, Lloyd suddenly turned his head to the right. He could've sworn he'd heard a voice...

_Get away from the dragon! Let **me** handle this!_

Lloyd's eyes widened as he realized that it was the voice of a Ktugach. Fearing the worst, he backed off, and watched as a magnificent red-orange blur flew by, striking the dragon hard. The winged beast finally fell, its spinal cord severed by a bite to the neck.

As Lloyd had expected, a Ktugach appeared in front of the dragon's body. Its teeth were still slicked with the red blood of the winged creature, though its expression seemed neutral.

"What the hell...?" Lloyd was almost at a loss for words. "Is this... some kind of trick...?"

_It's not a trick,_ the voice echoed. _I really am assisting you._

"But why would a...?" Abyssion seemed just as confused as Lloyd, and a bit stunned as well.

_Nebilim was a fool,_ the Ktugach said. _I learned that the hard way. I guess you could say I was his 'experiment' - the one ktugachling that received a Key Crest. And due to that, I'm capable of thinking for myself._

Lloyd stepped closer to the Ktugach, examining the crystal on its chest, and found out that there was, indeed, a Key Crest holding the crystal in place.

_I'm sorry to have disturbed you,_ the Ktugach said. _If you don't want to accept me, that's alright. I'll just return to the Tower of Destruction's crater._

"No, it's okay," Lloyd said. "You speak the truth. I'm glad _you_, of all the monsters, were able to see the light..."

_Yes, it is true,_ the Ktugach said. _The Cruxis Crystal allows a creature's intelligence to increase, and the Key Crest suppresses the emotional instability the crystal causes._

"Thanks for saving us anyhow," Lloyd said. "I've become more trusting of people now... it's kinda hard not to, what with all the people betraying the enemy." He laughed slightly.

Abyssion stepped forward. "Do you have a name?"

_Actually, I do,_ the Ktugach replied. _I am a male Ktugach who once served under Nebilim... and that's where I got my Cruxis Crystal. My name is Draconis. Pleased to meet you._

"You've probably heard of me before," Lloyd said. "I'm Lloyd. Welcome to the group... Draconis."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

It took quite a while for Lloyd's group to get accustomed to having a Ktugach in their party. However, Draconis seemed to be a relatively carefree soul, joking left and right and occasionally making rather annoying remarks about the other members of the group. He was also lazy, though would instantly be up and about when there was a battle.

The band traveled about Sylvarant, building up strength for their attack on the darkness radiating from Triet. Draconis seemed to know all the best fighting spots, and would lead them to their practice areas all the time.

Deep inside, Lloyd was thankful for the fact that one of those creatures had turned to the side of light. It gave them a new and powerful weapon, one that would be hated by their enemies and loved by their allies. Ktugach especially were powerful, and they could summon forth the power of fire itself to destroy anything that would burn.

Not everyone was content with Draconis' decision, though. As a matter of fact, some vehemently opposed his turning to the side of light.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

"There's another one down," a Desian guard said, inspecting the dragon's body from a distance. "Looks like there have been some monsters on the loose."

Another Desian walked over and investigated the bite marks, though they were barely visible on the creature's decaying body. "Definitely a Ktugach. I'd say it was a pretty small one, though." He extricated a piece of broken tooth from the dragon's neck. "It could barely get its teeth through this little guy's neck."

"You know what that means," the first Desian muttered. "Nebilim made a bad decision when he decided to put a Key Crest on that ktugachling. Looks like Draconis has come back for revenge."

"Dammit..." The second Desian slowly backed away from the dragon's body, only now beginning to be repulsed by the smell. "If we can't find Draconis and kill him, we'll..." He turned green and immediately headed for the bushes.

"Gah, there he goes again," the first Desian muttered to himself. "I swear that guy has no stomach sometimes."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: Alright. First, about ktugachling to Ktugach. They obviously change when they grow older. Remember that ktugachlings don't have forelegs or particularly big spike crests.

Second, about the Age of Lifeless Beings... well, actually, never mind. Too much of a spoiler. ;)

Third, I must apologize to my readers for not updating. I'm currently writing another story, and have become enthralled with another game.

As a side note, you can probably expect to see some other Tales series cameos in this fanfic. ;)


	4. A Mysterious Acquaintance

Crystal Feathers: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after 'To Kill An Angel'

Summary: After Niflheim was sealed, Lloyd thought the evils of the world to be dead. The group split up, expecting peace and quiet to reign around the world.

However, they were all in for a big surprise. Two years after Niflheim was sealed, the rising shadow that once concealed the world began to rise again... and now, Lloyd and the others must go on a journey to uncover the cause of the Rising Shadow and seal it away forever.

Pairings: LloydxColette and ZelosxSheena primarily, with some MithosxOC, YggdrasillxPronyma and GenisxPresea. There will also be hints at SelesxOC, YuanxMartel and KratosxRaine.

Author's Note: For the sake of keeping true to the storyline of Rising Shadow, there will be (as probably expected) very few hints at KxR. This is primarily to avoid offending all those random purists out there. I know that most of the purists will end up hating this story because of a few other pairings, but KxR seems to be the most hated of them.

As you all probably know, I'm a big fan of KxR. It's an official pairing in this storyline, though it will be rather rare. This fanfic will mostly focus on the action, though there will be some fluff inserted here and there.

This fanfic is based two years after 'To Kill An Angel', four years after 'Rising Shadow'. Therefore, Lloyd is 21, Colette is 20, Zelos is 26, Sheena is 23, Genis is 16, Presea is 16, Raine is 27, Abyssion is 27, Leviathan is 20, Seles is 18, Allurya is 8, Mithos is 16 and Karina is 15.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Destiny/Tales of Destiny 2, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix.

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Chapter 3: A Mysterious Acquaintance

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Lloyd had felt that same adrenaline rush so many times before. The foe that stood before him was one all too familiar, one he had encountered many times in his past battles. It was a sand worm, a massive creature that lived exclusively near Triet and would tunnel relentlessly through the sand, coming to the surface only to feed.

The worm's hot breath scorched the Eternal Swordsman, who leaped forward and out of the range of the stream as quickly as he could. Lloyd brought the Flamberge down upon the worm's soft flesh, causing the massive creature to flinch.

The only difference about this battle was that he was alone with Colette. There were no other combatants on the battlefield.

Another stream of scalding-hot air shot from the worm's mouth, striking Lloyd's companion and pushing her back. Lloyd called upon his wings and leaped into the air, floating high above the worm and using the winds of the desert as leverage.

Three magnificent pink mana missiles cut through the air and sliced the worm's skin, much to the relief of Lloyd. He descended once again and performed Guardian to block yet another breath attack from the worm.

However, the worm had decided to try a new tactic. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared beneath the sand, much to the dismay of both Lloyd and Colette. In the blink of an eye, both companions had been knocked down and almost out by their foe, who had risen out of the ground and struck them powerfully with a blow that neither would ever forget.

As Lloyd was recovering from the attack, a sudden, unexpected pulse of energy struck the sand worm, forcing it to fall back. Once Colette had recovered, she launched Pow Pow Hammer and was surprised to see the worm go down in one hit.

The air around Lloyd and Colette shifted to a much cooler, soothing air, with magical wind swirling about the companions and restoring their strength back to its maximum. Moments afterward, out of the shimmering air that surrounded the seraphim, a figure approached.

It appeared to be a male human of about sixteen years of age, with jet-black hair and stormy violet eyes. Most of his face was obscured by a complex helmet-like mask, with the appearance of the skull of a drake or some other sort of bizarre apparition. From a beaklike front which covered the figure's nose, three bars swept back, meeting at the back and extruding a pair of long, thin, powder-blue feathers. The two bars that went around his head were crested with a pair of thick, short and slightly curving horns, which were swept forward, one on either side. On the top, there was a pair of similar hornlike projections, except much thinner and longer, with the one in the back being significantly longer than the one in front. In the front of the mask, the figure's eyes were surrounded by a pair of bony 'eye sockets'. A jawbone, like one from a dragon, protruded from the base of the mask, effectively caging what little of the person's face was exposed.

His clothing was as black as the night, and a silhouette of a dagger, pointing downward, was emblazoned on the front of his shirt. Blue markings in a similar light blue to the one seen on the front traced across the rest of the uniform, especially prominent tracing over his sleeves and his left pant leg. A long, dark purple cape flowed out behind him, whipping in the intense desert wind. From the slits in what was evidently the overcoat's sleeves, there could be seen row after row of pink frills, which looked rather delicate in contrast to the rest of the uniform. Unlike the rest of the outfit, his shoes were relatively mundane, looking rather ordinary for such an extraordinary individual.

In the person's left hand, there was a shortsword, which was held in such a manner that it seemed to be protruding from the back of his hand, rather than the front. The longsword in his right hand was arranged normally, however.

**abc**

"Who are you?" Lloyd asked, stepping up to the mysterious new human.

"Am I really that hard to identify?" The human's face twisted into a smirk. "You may call me Judas. I've been looking for someone with the ability to fly for quite some time."

"Judas, huh," Lloyd said. "Well, I think you've come to the right people. I'm Lloyd, and this girl over here..." he motioned to Colette, "...is Colette."

The one called Judas raised an eyebrow, a gesture that was barely visible through his mask, and sheathed his swords. "...Very well. Can you take me to Derris-Kharlan?"

"What?" Lloyd jumped back in surprise. "Y...you want to go to _Derris-Kharlan_?"

"You heard me right," Judas said coldly. "Can you take me to Derris-Kharlan? I have something I'd like to tell to the leader of Cruxis. Although, I suppose if you don't want to do it, then... that's that."

"Alright then," Lloyd said. "I'll take you to Derris-Kharlan. But in the meantime, I'd like you to explain yourself."

"I can explain myself once we reach Triet," Judas said. "Since the sun's starting to go down, I'd advise not traveling anymore tonight. Let's head back for now."

Lloyd nodded. "You're right. Once we reach Triet, though, you'll explain yourself, right?"

Judas merely nodded in response, and then motioned for the group to head off toward the Desert Oasis.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Once the group had reached Triet, Judas explained himself to them. Apparently he was a mercenary from the Iselia region (that bit surprised Lloyd), but he would be making an exception for them, since they had promised to take him to Derris-Kharlan.

Judas said that his mask was to conceal his identity. Apparently, his past self had done something treacherous, and he wished for the people of Symphonia not to know of what was amiss. At the mention of Forcystus, he seemed interested but denied any contact with the Desians. Lloyd, however, could tell he was lying.

Judas had only broken his mask once before, and that was when he had performed a technique that nobody had ever heard of before. It was a technique that was so powerful that it often failed, and if the user did indeed succeed, they could end up seriously injured. After that event, Judas had sworn never to use the technique again, as it was simply far too powerful to continue to use.

However, Judas did state the name of the technique. He had heard it from a Mizuhoan a few years back. The name was forever emblazoned on the memory of those who had seen it: _Majin-Rengoku-Satsu._

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: If you still have trouble picturing Judas, look up Tales of Destiny 2, specifically the Japanese version.

Speaking of which, there **might** be a few ToD/ToD2 spoilers later on in the fic. I think pretty much the only thing I've covered so far is _Majin-Rengoku-Satsu_. That will pretty much be the only tech Judas is capable of using outside of the ones that are in Tales of Symphonia. Think along the lines of a cross between Abyssion and Lloyd for Judas' techs, except generally toned down a few notches.


	5. Betrayal of Water and Revelations

Crystal Feathers: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after 'To Kill An Angel'

Summary: After Niflheim was sealed, Lloyd thought the evils of the world to be dead. The group split up, expecting peace and quiet to reign around the world.

However, they were all in for a big surprise. Two years after Niflheim was sealed, the rising shadow that once concealed the world began to rise again... and now, Lloyd and the others must go on a journey to uncover the cause of the Rising Shadow and seal it away forever.

Pairings: LloydxColette and ZelosxSheena primarily, with some MithosxOC, YggdrasillxPronyma and GenisxPresea. There will also be hints at SelesxOC, YuanxMartel and KratosxRaine.

Author's Note: For the sake of keeping true to the storyline of Rising Shadow, there will be (as probably expected) very few hints at KxR. This is primarily to avoid offending all those random purists out there. I know that most of the purists will end up hating this story because of a few other pairings, but KxR seems to be the most hated of them.

As you all probably know, I'm a big fan of KxR. It's an official pairing in this storyline, though it will be rather rare. This fanfic will mostly focus on the action, though there will be some fluff inserted here and there.

This fanfic is based two years after 'To Kill An Angel', four years after 'Rising Shadow'. Therefore, Lloyd is 21, Colette is 20, Zelos is 26, Sheena is 23, Genis is 16, Presea is 16, Raine is 27, Abyssion is 27, Leviathan is 20, Seles is 18, Allurya is 8, Mithos is 16 and Karina is 15.

I might introduce more Tales of Destiny 2 characters later on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Destiny/Tales of Destiny 2, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix.

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Chapter 4: Betrayal of Water and Revelations

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It had happened all too many times before. The monsters around Iselia had seemingly become much stronger, and it was difficult now for Lloyd to defeat even a wolf alone. And as he was attempting to increase his strength via training, he had encountered a particularly strong band of opponents.

And so now, the Eternal Swordsman leaned on the Flamberge for support, trying to avoid collapsing under the intense weight he seemed to feel.

But something was amiss. The swords in his hands were telling him that there was something unusual swirling in the air, and the Aionis ring he bore seemed to be picking up a strange mana signature. It seemed to be dark, but not necessarily evil...

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Those fins had seen much use in the past, and those arms had struck many foes. But this time, it was after a different opponent. Saving the Eternal Swordsman from the wrath of a shadow wolf was its primary goal.

It was unlike most Adulocia. Though it was evidently aged, perhaps four hundred or so years old, it still seemed young, perhaps even as young as thirty. There were twelve feathers of water protruding from its back, six on each side, wavering and drifting in the soft and gentle wind. Its skin, which would normally have dried out from overexposure to the warm, dry air of Iselia, was just as moist and slick as ever, almost as if it had never encountered the air.

It was like a mermaid, only it was moving through the air instead of the water. And those wings upon its back assisted its travel.

And from what would be the chest region of a less primitive animal, there exuded a faint glow from a shadowy crystal, colored red but glowing black.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Judas, who had followed Lloyd out, was also exhausted, incapable of continuing the battle. He was tempted to try performing the _Majin-Rengoku-Satsu_ as a last resort, but knew it was too great a risk, based off of his past experience with the technique.

He could barely even raise his longsword anyhow. Blades of mana were useless if they couldn't move.

Both warriors were aroused when they heard an inhuman shriek from the distant plain, and an unexpected Spread attack catapulted the wolf they had been fighting into the air. It was quickly followed by Aqua Laser, which cut through and knocked back the wolf, knocking it down and out.

Lloyd lifted his head and looked in the direction the Aqua Laser had come from, and much to his surprise, he could see a bizarre, fishlike creature floating its way across the plain.

He could recognize it as an Adulocia, but had no clue as to why such a creature would help him. Perhaps it was like Draconis... it was a traitor against the cause of Nebilim, and it wanted to be free of the hell it had to endure under the shadow's reign.

The Adulocia calmly and swiftly approached, its wings of water flapping softly and propelling it forward. Its two 'arms', half fish and half limb, hung limply at either side, obviously at rest. Its tail also remained still, with the exception of an occasional twitch.

Though it was a grotesque contraption of flesh, it was also magnificent in its own way.

Lloyd, recognizing the aura, lifted an arm weakly and waved it at the creature, obviously hinting that he wanted to speak to it. It floated over, undisturbed by Lloyd's appearance.

**abc**

"Hi there," the Eternal Swordsman whispered, panting. "Um... thanks for your help..."

_No problem,_ the Adulocia returned in its own mental voice. _I'm here to help any friend of Mithos._

"So you're...?" Lloyd seemed intrigued, and despite his exhaustion and injury, he found the strength to lift himself to his feet and walk over to the creature that stood before him.

_Yep,_ the Adulocia replied calmly. _In case you're wondering, they call me Hydralix. It's tough being a servant of the rising shadow... so tough, in fact, that it's easier to just oppose it... heheh._

Lloyd seemed surprised by the creature's carefree attitude. "You're a bit eccentric..."

_You just now noticed it,_ the Adulocia muttered. _Your name is...?_

"Lloyd," the Eternal Swordsman replied simply. "And my friend here is Judas."

_Judas... hmm._ The Adulocia now seemed intrigued, mentally raising an eyebrow at the name. _I think I've heard that somewhere before... well, anyway, I'll be glad to help you as long as you need it. Don't hesitate to ask of my assistance._

Lloyd glanced at Judas briefly, then nodded. "All right. You gonna come with us?"

_Sure thing._ The Adulocia's bizarre joy was evident in its voice. _I'll stick by your side till the day I die._

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Lloyd had found Hydralix's words rather peculiar, as he had only known Judas to have somehow contacted the Desians. He desired to 'interrogate' the masked swordsman on the subject before they left for Derris-Kharlan.

Since the group had to stop off at Iselia to rest and introduce Hydralix to the others, especially Draconis, he decided to interrogate Judas there.. He felt Draconis and Hydralix were somehow connected...

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

"How'd the training go today?" Zelos asked as he watched Lloyd enter the house.

"Not the best," Lloyd replied. "I encountered a new... ah... friend along the way, and I have to question Judas on a few subjects."

"So, you're starting to become suspicious of Mr. Masked Swordsman here." Zelos grinned and seated himself. "Not atypical for a guy like you... heheh. Well, I guess it's better off if we all know what's buggin' ya."

"I'm not too keen on being interrogated by a number of people," Judas stated flatly. "If it is at all possible, keep it to one or two, okay?"

"Wouldn't it technically be a-" Genis was cut off when he saw Lloyd nod at Judas, and the two left the room. "Well, guess those two are determined to carry out their little conversation..."

Zelos glanced at the doorway. "Yep, sure seems like it. Damn, I wish that guy was a _bit_ more social..."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

"Judas." Lloyd addressed the younger swordsman with a cold air, one that was very unlike him. "I want you to tell me everything you know about your past experiences with the Desians. _Everything._"

Judas smirked and closed his eyes. "Lately I've been thinking of pulling off some _kami-kaze_ move like _Majin-Rengoku-Satsu_ again. It'd put an end to the traitorous life I live..."

"You're a _traitor_?" Lloyd seemed intrigued by this statement, and raised an eyebrow.

"I figured you would've figured it out by now," Judas said. "Based off of the fact that my name is that of an infamous traitor in years long past us... heh. Guess I didn't make it clear enough." The smirk faded from his face as he continued. "My entire life... has been a lie. At age sixteen, a Cruxis Crystal was installed into me, and my aging was stopped by the same process that Kratos' was. However, the crystal turned out to be a faulty one, and I never gained the wings and heightened senses of an angel. The crystal remains on my skin, as it contains the soul of one I loved in my past life."

"So you protect the crystal even though you have no real purpose for it but memory?" Lloyd said, even more intrigued. "You were so devoted to that person that you couldn't sacrifice the Cruxis Crystal they bore..."

"Her name was Marian," Judas said. "After... after that day seventeen years ago, I... I just couldn't bring myself to kill her... but I had to, to save her." His tone darkened. "Her Cruxis Crystal was removed from her body, and its lack of a Key Crest caused the mana in her body to go out of control... but instead of transforming into the Exbelua of the weaker Exspheres, she transformed into a grotesque and abominable monster that was difficult to set eyes upon..."

"So you killed her," Lloyd said. "You killed her to save her? What was that day that you desire to remember for the rest of your natural life?"

"It was what would be considered a marvelous day," Judas replied. "A marvelous day only to those who truly love one another. It was almost exactly seventeen years ago this day... a mere month before she died. I was the one that took her virginity... I will freely admit it, as you asked me to tell you everything, and speaking of the Desians just simply can't be done without some mention of Marian."

Lloyd seemed particularly shocked by this statement. "You... you slept with her? But... but that's..."

"I wanted to carry on," Judas said. "Perhaps I shouldn't have tried at such a young age, but I didn't want to lose the opportunity..." his voice seemed to fade into a snarl. "...but all thanks to those damned Desians... my life has been torn apart... completely ruined! And to think... I actually wanted to _listen_ to Nebilim at one point in the past!"

"So you _did_ work for the Desians," Lloyd said. "I suspected it from the very beginning... but now it seems I've proven it. And all thanks to the mention of that girl..."

"Don't insult Marian." Judas' voice was still stormy, and his eyes were even more so. "She was the light in a life that seemed pointless... I would've killed myself long ago if it weren't for her. My only sibling is still a normal human... she can age freely as she wishes, and procreate, and... and..." though he attempted to retain control, tears still came to his eyes. "...and she can... actually live as a human... but to keep the life of Marian... I must sacrifice... everything I have..."

"Calm down," Lloyd said. "If it depresses you that much to talk about the past, I won't force you to. But... must you still punish yourself for Marian's sake? I mean, the crystal doesn't even work, so... why keep it?"

"It's Marian," Judas stated. "Need I more reason to keep it?"

"Perhaps it isn't fully evolved," Lloyd said. "I recall hearing something about that from my father... Kratos... a year or two ago. A partially evolved Exsphere can hinder one's aging, but it doesn't provide the enhancements that a fully evolved one does."

"What must I do?" Judas asked hopefully, his eyes brightening for the first time in ages.

"You must wait for the Exsphere to fully evolve," Lloyd replied. "It could take a while to do that, unfortunately... but once it has fully evolved, you must remove it. Once a day has passed, it is safe to return the Cruxis Crystal to your body. At least, that's what Kratos said." Remembering a story from his past, he added, "And don't worry, you can still pass on your own bloodline even with the unevolved one. It's just... far more difficult. Don't worry about it... worry about it when you're actually old enough to procreate." He winked.

Judas sighed. "I suppose you're right... this time I'll listen." In his mind, he added, _Marian, I hope you're listening right now. I'm going to return myself to normal for your sake._

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: Okay... yeah, I'm weird. Don't ask why I went into such gruesome detail there... heheh. I'm trying to decide if this can stay T-rated or not.

Thank Tales of Destiny 2 and Motoi Sakuraba for the continuation of this fanfic.


	6. Learning of the Shadows

Crystal Feathers: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after 'To Kill An Angel'

Summary: After Niflheim was sealed, Lloyd thought the evils of the world to be dead. The group split up, expecting peace and quiet to reign around the world.

However, they were all in for a big surprise. Two years after Niflheim was sealed, the rising shadow that once concealed the world began to rise again... and now, Lloyd and the others must go on a journey to uncover the cause of the Rising Shadow and seal it away forever.

Pairings: LloydxColette and ZelosxSheena primarily, with some MithosxOC, YggdrasillxPronyma and GenisxPresea. There will also be hints at SelesxOC, YuanxMartel and KratosxRaine.

Author's Note: For the sake of keeping true to the storyline of Rising Shadow, there will be (as probably expected) very few hints at KxR. This is primarily to avoid offending all those random purists out there. I know that most of the purists will end up hating this story because of a few other pairings, but KxR seems to be the most hated of them.

As you all probably know, I'm a big fan of KxR. It's an official pairing in this storyline, though it will be rather rare. This fanfic will mostly focus on the action, though there will be some fluff inserted here and there.

This fanfic is based two years after 'To Kill An Angel', four years after 'Rising Shadow'. Therefore, Lloyd is 21, Colette is 20, Zelos is 26, Sheena is 23, Genis is 16, Presea is 16, Raine is 27, Abyssion is 27, Leviathan is 20, Seles is 18, Allurya is 8, Mithos is 16 and Karina is 15.

I might introduce more Tales of Destiny 2 characters later on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Destiny/Tales of Destiny 2, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix.

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Chapter 5: Learning of the Shadows

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The air was deathly silent as Lloyd approached the ancient ruin. He had felt the presence of some type of bizarre dark energy near Triet, and he decided to investigate the region, though he knew it was a bad idea to approach the darkness at night.

What he saw was more than a shock. It was completely, thoroughly, totally unexpected... and so dark, it seemed to put even Nebilim himself to shame.

The entire ruin was engulfed in solid darkness. It was like a black hole, absorbing all light even from the stars into it. Something seemed to be at work deep within that ruin, and Lloyd was determined to investigate it.

He cautiously approached the shadow and entered the abyss that lay before him.

**abc**

"What is this place?"

Lloyd's voice seemed to echo in a cavern that he had not known to exist before. He was in a cave, a tall and deep one that had very little light except for that which shone through the entrance. It was still nighttime, but the moon was unusually bright. The Eternal Swordsman cautiously advanced, struggling to take each step.

"It seems like I'm in another world," Lloyd whispered to himself as he continued. "I can tell I'm still in Sylvarant, but... there's definitely something different about it. I just can't quite place my finger on it..."

"So it wasn't just me." Lloyd turned at the unexpected voice and saw that Judas had apprently followed him in. "This place is creepy... if I could find a better word to describe it, I would. I think something's amiss."

"No duh," Lloyd muttered dryly. "It's gonna be a long time before we can figure out what's going on."

"You're pretty conspicuous in here," Judas said. "If we encounter some kind of light source, you're gonna have to be careful. I'll go out ahead and scout."

Lloyd nodded, and allowed Judas to pass in front of him. The two walked like this for some time, until they came upon what seemed like a door in a sheet of ice.

"What's this?" Lloyd's curiosity overtook his actions, and he reached over to open the door.

"It just looks like empty cave," Judas said, watching the door open. "But... there's something beyond that door that just isn't the same as the rest of the cave." He carefully drew his shortsword. "Let's be careful. You never know when something bad is going to happen."

"You're right," Lloyd whispered back. "You watch out for yourself. I'm going in."

Upon entering the space beyond the door, Lloyd felt like he had entered another world entirely. He now seemed to be in a ruin, much like the Triet temple ruin where Efreet rested, but it was a lot different... much lighter in color, and with no lava seeping through the crevices in the walls and flowing through the gaping holes in the floor.

One more thing he noticed was that the Flamberge was reacting very strongly to this place. He glanced down at the sword and whispered words of reassurance, even though he knew that the sword wasn't a living sword and couldn't hear his words.

Once Lloyd felt Judas' presence behind him, he felt strangely reassured. He just had this feeling that as long as Judas was there, everything would be all right...

A sudden shriek broke Lloyd out of his thoughts. He looked up, obviously startled as well as frightened. "What was that?"

"I'd assume it was a monster," Judas said, drawing his longsword. "Don't worry. I can take care of any threat we happen to come across."

A creature leaped out of seemingly nowhere, its sleek canine form gracefully falling upon the cracked and damaged floor. Its three heads, streamlined like a hound's, all had their teeth bared, and it was snarling a hideous snarl, its tail pointed straight down at the floor.

"Oh crap," Judas muttered. "It's a cerberus... one of the fire guardians. We have to take it out as quickly as possible!"

Lloyd nodded, and quickly dashed forward, both swords drawn. However, he was quickly forced to jump back to evade a blow from the cerberus, countering with a Double Demon Fang.

Judas launched himself at the cerberus, and with a single upward slash with his shortsword followed by a downward slash with his longsword, performed a technique resembling Tiger Blade. This was followed almost immediately by a Beast attack, which was enough to knock back the cerberus temporarily.

However, the creature quickly lifted itself up, and spewed from its mouths a stream of pure fire, which struck and knocked back both comrades. Judas was the first to get up, but he didn't immediately launch himself back at the cerberus.

Instead, he leaped back, much to the surprise of Lloyd.

"_Light of the heavens, come down upon this sword and reveal thy power!_"

A glimmering halo surrounded Judas' longsword, one that was composed of pure golden light, and sending rays like those of the sun splaying out around the sword. A magnificent, azure-blue light started blazing on the sword's blade, and a similarly colored triangular blade of mana extruded itself from the sword, fading to green at the very tip.

"**_Shining Blade!_**"

Judas launched himself at the cerberus again, but this time to perform a dazzling display of slashes and thrusts with both his swords, primarily the mana blade. He then leaped back, and allowed the blade to cool off, the blade of mana vanishing into nothingness.

The cerberus was down, knocked out by one single, powerful attack.

Lloyd was positively amazed. He rushed toward Judas, sheathing both swords, and insisted on investigating the longsword. Judas shook his head, though a smirk was on his face.

"It was nothing," the younger swordsman said. "You could probably learn to perform _that_ technique. But I had to hold off the attack, because a dark attack would've just..." he cleared his throat. "...fueled the flame."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow. "You had to hold it off...? A dark attack...? What are you talking about...? That was a light attack, wasn't it...?"

"It was only a basic part of the technique," Judas said. "It's part of the-" he quickly cut himself off, shaking his head briefly. "training I received when I was younger.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," Lloyd muttered. "Let's just get on with this place, now shall we?"

Lloyd could tell something was amiss with Judas, but he just couldn't figure it out...

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: Another update before Christmas! Woohoo! **(dances)**

...Yeah, yeah, whatever.

And just so all you newbies know, Marian _was_ a real person. I'm just not going to spoil her role... _yet_. ;)


	7. Betrayal of Wind and New Forces

Crystal Feathers: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after 'To Kill An Angel'

Summary: After Niflheim was sealed, Lloyd thought the evils of the world to be dead. The group split up, expecting peace and quiet to reign around the world.

However, they were all in for a big surprise. Two years after Niflheim was sealed, the rising shadow that once concealed the world began to rise again... and now, Lloyd and the others must go on a journey to uncover the cause of the Rising Shadow and seal it away forever.

Pairings: LloydxColette and ZelosxSheena primarily, with some MithosxOC, YggdrasillxPronyma and GenisxPresea. There will also be hints at SelesxOC, YuanxMartel and KratosxRaine.

Author's Note: For the sake of keeping true to the storyline of Rising Shadow, there will be (as probably expected) very few hints at KxR. This is primarily to avoid offending all those random purists out there. I know that most of the purists will end up hating this story because of a few other pairings, but KxR seems to be the most hated of them.

As you all probably know, I'm a big fan of KxR. It's an official pairing in this storyline, though it will be rather rare. This fanfic will mostly focus on the action, though there will be some fluff inserted here and there.

This fanfic is based two years after 'To Kill An Angel', four years after 'Rising Shadow'. Therefore, Lloyd is 21, Colette is 20, Zelos is 26, Sheena is 23, Genis is 16, Presea is 16, Raine is 27, Abyssion is 27, Leviathan is 20, Seles is 18, Allurya is 8, Mithos is 16 and Karina is 15.

I might introduce more Tales of Destiny 2 characters later on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Destiny/Tales of Destiny 2, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix.

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Chapter 6: Betrayal of Wind and New Forces

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It was hard to believe that there was even an end to the vast cavern that stood before them. The cavern stretched out far and wide, seemingly re-entering the cave they had started in. But somehow, they knew they had entered yet another dimension... a much more vast one, with many more twists and turns than even the dimension they knew so well.

But where was this incredible evil radiating from? The further they pressed on into the dimensional shifts, the darker the aura of their location seemed. The endless overlapping of dimensional planes seemed to grow even darker with each passing layer.

Lloyd was disturbed by this immense abyss he was entering. The cavern he was in now was lighted by dimly glowing crystals attached to the cave walls, as well as stalactites with a similar light aura. However, now he was traveling alone, as Judas had split off to investigate another part of the cavern.

The two tunnels quickly met, and the two swordsmen encountered each other yet again. They decided to stick together from there on out, since it would be safer to do so.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

The abyssal dimension was wide and deep, and the creature that now floated in it was determined to exit it. The wings of the creature were long and wide, feathered brilliantly with blue and electric-yellow streaks, and a pair of smaller 'winglets' were set between the main wings, bearing the same coloration. The rest of the creature appeared to be half human and half bird, with a humanoid body leading down to birdlike feet with talons, and a brilliantly feathered tail. Its head was small, with a long and thin beak that was curved slightly, coming to a slight hook at the tip.

This dimension was one that the creature had to exit quickly, as it had to assist its sworn ally with their quest through the shadowy dimensions.

And its wings glimmered with a magnificent light, like the light of mana, as it swiftly entered the next dimension, with the crystal on its chest glimmering faintly in the cavern's distant light.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

So far, Lloyd and Judas hadn't encountered any foes in this dimension. However, Lloyd kept his eyes open, as he didn't want to be surprised if they were indeed attacked.

Judas suddenly turned his head in a direction that neither of them had expected to be looking in. A shrill cry emanated from the distant depths of the cave, and seconds later, an Iapyx suddenly rocked out of the shadows, its wings ablaze with mana energy.

"What the?" Lloyd's exclamation echoed through the cavern as he glanced quickly in the direction of the cry.

"It's an Iapyx," Judas said. "That much should be obvious. I think it's an angelic Iapyx, though."

"So I noticed," Lloyd muttered. "So, what's up with you? Are you our first opponent since the last dimension?"

_Actually, I'm here to help you,_ the Iapyx said. _You probably need help sealing the abyssal dimension... ah, that's the one that's up next. I'll help you along._

"Another traitor," Judas said. "But... why is it there's such a revolt against the shadow?"

_Because Nebilim treated us inappropriately,_ the Iapyx replied. _I'm one of those who was given a Key Crest for my crystal. I am Kaze-Tenshi._

"Kaze-Tenshi..." Lloyd's eyes widened. "So... so you're a spirit of wind?"

_Yes,_ the Iapyx replied. _I am one of the greater spirits of wind, second only to the three Sylph... and to think I was captured by Nebilim..._

"Don't worry," Judas said. "We'll help you, as long as you help us."

_I will,_ the Iapyx said. _Just... don't be too reckless, okay?_

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Symphonia's dimension also happened to be full of surprises; Zelos had been out fighting in the plains near Sybak when he had encountered a pair of odd humans.

The first one, who was obviously the younger of the two, had spiky blond hair and blue eyes; he introduced himself as Kyle Dunamis. His companion, who appeared to be much older, had similarly unkempt silver hair, though his hair was much shorter, and silver eyes; the older one was Loni Dunamis.

Zelos suspected that the two were hiding something, but he didn't want to be too rude and interrupt their private thoughts. However, he didn't think that it was that much of a connection.

Kyle said he was related to Judas; however, Loni would not divulge any information on his relations.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: Okay, I'll admit... I am REALLY lazy. If you want to know what Kyle and Loni look like, just look up Tales of Destiny 2, got it? They're very distinctive, so it shouldn't be too hard... well, you might confuse Kyle with Stahn, but that's beside the point. :p

And yes, the guy's name is Loni. Don't ask me why. Though I much prefer 'Loni' over the anglicized 'Roni' for obvious reasons, it's still a bit strange...


	8. Sorrowful Truths

Crystal Feathers: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after 'To Kill An Angel'

Summary: After Niflheim was sealed, Lloyd thought the evils of the world to be dead. The group split up, expecting peace and quiet to reign around the world.

However, they were all in for a big surprise. Two years after Niflheim was sealed, the rising shadow that once concealed the world began to rise again... and now, Lloyd and the others must go on a journey to uncover the cause of the Rising Shadow and seal it away forever.

Pairings: LloydxColette and ZelosxSheena primarily, with some MithosxOC, YggdrasillxPronyma and GenisxPresea. There will also be hints at SelesxOC, YuanxMartel and KratosxRaine.

Author's Note: For the sake of keeping true to the storyline of Rising Shadow, there will be (as probably expected) very few hints at KxR. This is primarily to avoid offending all those random purists out there. I know that most of the purists will end up hating this story because of a few other pairings, but KxR seems to be the most hated of them.

As you all probably know, I'm a big fan of KxR. It's an official pairing in this storyline, though it will be rather rare. This fanfic will mostly focus on the action, though there will be some fluff inserted here and there.

This fanfic is based two years after 'To Kill An Angel', four years after 'Rising Shadow'. Therefore, Lloyd is 21, Colette is 20, Zelos is 26, Sheena is 23, Genis is 16, Presea is 16, Raine is 27, Abyssion is 27, Leviathan is 20, Seles is 18, Allurya is 8, Mithos is 16 and Karina is 15.

I might introduce more Tales of Destiny 2 characters later on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Destiny/Tales of Destiny 2, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 7: Sorrowful Truths

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Dark, sorrowful laughter echoed through the abyssal dimension's darkest cave as the figure rose from her sitting position and walked over to a small statue that lay before her. The statue was of a young boy, no older than sixteen years, who had short and unkempt black hair and eyes set with amethyst.

"Soon, my dearest brother..." the figure whispered, her laughter fading into the depths of the dimension. "Soon, I shall meet you for the first time in eighteen years... and this time, your closest shall have her revenge..."

The person started laughing again, and the shrill cry of a voice not her own also seemed to laugh along with her...

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Judas shivered as he stepped into the final plane of the dimensional shift. Somehow he knew something was familiar about this place...

"Hey Judas, what's wrong?" Lloyd had taken notice of Judas' odd behavior.

"...Nothing," Judas whispered, though loud enough to be heard in the cave. "Nothing... perhaps it was just the aura of this place."

Lloyd could again tell that Judas was lying through his teeth, but chose not to make anything of it.

The two swordsmen advanced deeper into the cave of the abyssal dimension, Judas' obvious unease only growing stronger. He seemed to almost be exhausted by the effort of continuation, but still he pressed on, even when he had to stick his swords in the ground for support.

Then, his ears perked up and he lifted his head at an all-too-familiar sound. It was the sound of laughter... not sweet and innocent like that voice had once been, but dark and malicious, tearing through his very heart and soul. He flinched at the sound.

Lloyd had noticed this difficulty as well. "Tell me... what's wrong?"

Judas made no response. Instead, he suddenly took off running in the direction they had been going, sheathing both swords for speed. Lloyd, confused, followed the younger swordsman, though he kept his swords drawn.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

_'So, you've come.'_ A peculiar voice echoed through the cavern, one that sounded shrill, almost like the scraping of metal against metal.

Judas practically threw himself through the makeshift door, and he came face-to-face with a person he hadn't seen in eighteen years.

However, the swordsman's eyes quickly fell on the statue that lay beside the woman. It looked almost exactly like he had before he donned the mask.

"I see _your_ attitude hasn't changed," Judas muttered dryly, his eyes lifting back to the woman who stood before him.

"And neither has yours," the woman said. "Don't you remember me, Leon? Don't you remember who you once cherished more than anyone else in the world?"

Judas flinched at the name. "D...don't call me that... I'm not Leon anymore..."

"Oh, but you are," the woman said. "Or... perhaps you'd rather be called by your true name... Emilio...?"

Judas shook his head. "I... I'm not Emilio! I'm not Leon! This is Judas... this is the new me... I thought you... I thought you loved me... Rutee..."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow at the conversation that was going between the two.

"I loved you many years ago," the woman named Rutee said, walking slowly forward and placing herself before Judas. "Back when you loved me back. But you abandoned your own _sister_ for that filthy female Marian!"

Judas shook his head again, rising to face Rutee. "You... you're lying... I still cared for you... you just didn't realize it...!"

"Wrong answer." And with that, Rutee drew a sword from her backside, its curved blade gleaming in the faint light emanated by a stalactite above them. "Let's see what Atwight has to say about you..."

"No, I'm serious!" Judas exclaimed, jumping back. "You... you're my sister! Of course... of course I cared for you! You... can't just abandon me like that...! You can't... you can't abandon _Kyle_ like that...!"

The sword began glimmering with an eerie blue light. _'Yes, Leon... you still care for Rutee... but **never** did you care for her as a brother does!'_

"Back off, Atwight!" Judas snapped, bringing up his longsword in case of an attack. "You can't truly call me a friend if you can't agree with my ideals!"

"And what foolish ideals they are," Rutee said. "You say you still care for me, yet you hardly ever look at me anymore... all I have to remember you by is that statue!" She swung the sword forward in a magnificent display of agility, its blade contacting that of Judas' sword. "How can you call yourself a sibling if you can't even _defend_ your own?"

Lloyd moved as if to step in, but Judas shook his head in response. "No, Lloyd... let me handle this."

And with that, the masked swordsman began pushing back with a new strength, one that surprised even the sword Atwight. He managed to break the guard, and slipped in a painful blow to Rutee's right shoulder.

Rutee quickly fell back, holding the injured shoulder. "You... you little brat!"

"Now now, don't call me that," Judas said, smirking. "I thought you were the kind and caring older sister I once knew."

_'She was,'_ Atwight whispered. _'But now, she no longer needs a 'little brother'. She can live by herself without one!'_

And to confirm her sword's words, Rutee lashed out at Judas once again, Atwight's blade brushing against the fabric covering Judas' left shoulder. Though the fabric was torn, Judas didn't even flinch, and he prepared to strike back...

"Stop!" Lloyd called out suddenly. "You... you two don't need to be fighting! You're siblings, remember? Family shouldn't fight amongst itself!"

Judas nodded, and turned away. "I apologize, Rutee. We'll have to finish this fight the next time we meet..."

Lloyd turned to follow Judas, and the two disappeared back into the seemingly endless dimensional shift.

_'Seems like we beat him this time,'_ Atwight whispered. _'Nice one, Rutee.'_

Rutee laughed. "Now now, don't be too happy yet... we still have yet to start the main event."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: And so the plot thickens... into a gooey paste. Judas' older sister is the one behind at least half of this, and it seems like she's being possessed by a talking sword!

Read on to find out what happens. ;)


	9. Longing for Family

Crystal Feathers: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after 'To Kill An Angel'

Summary: After Niflheim was sealed, Lloyd thought the evils of the world to be dead. The group split up, expecting peace and quiet to reign around the world.

However, they were all in for a big surprise. Two years after Niflheim was sealed, the rising shadow that once concealed the world began to rise again... and now, Lloyd and the others must go on a journey to uncover the cause of the Rising Shadow and seal it away forever.

Pairings: LloydxColette and ZelosxSheena primarily, with some MithosxOC, YggdrasillxPronyma and GenisxPresea. There will also be hints at SelesxOC, YuanxMartel and KratosxRaine.

Author's Note: For the sake of keeping true to the storyline of Rising Shadow, there will be (as probably expected) very few hints at KxR. This is primarily to avoid offending all those random purists out there. I know that most of the purists will end up hating this story because of a few other pairings, but KxR seems to be the most hated of them.

As you all probably know, I'm a big fan of KxR. It's an official pairing in this storyline, though it will be rather rare. This fanfic will mostly focus on the action, though there will be some fluff inserted here and there.

This fanfic is based two years after 'To Kill An Angel', four years after 'Rising Shadow'. Therefore, Lloyd is 21, Colette is 20, Zelos is 26, Sheena is 23, Genis is 16, Presea is 16, Raine is 27, Abyssion is 27, Leviathan is 20, Seles is 18, Allurya is 8, Mithos is 16 and Karina is 15.

I might introduce more Tales of Destiny 2 characters later on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Destiny/Tales of Destiny 2, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 8: Longing for Family

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

The dimensional shift was a long and arduous journey for the two lone companions. Their ally had long since separated from their group, and now Judas and Lloyd were fighting alone.

However, they managed to escape the dimensional shift, and that is when Lloyd demanded that Judas explain himself.

**abc**

"Say, Judas." Lloyd looked up from the ground, glancing at the younger swordsman. "That Rutee is your sister, right? Why did she attack you?"

"I suppose it would be pointless to keep such information secret," Judas said, closing his eyes. "It wasn't Rutee that attacked me. It was Atwight controlling Rutee."

"What is this Atwight, anyway?" Lloyd asked.

"It's a sword," Judas replied. "Or rather, a Swordian. One of five Swordians... living swords that can communicate only with their masters and with those others who wield Swordians. The Swordians were forged from Aionis, which you would probably know of quite well, being the Eternal Swordsman that you are."

"Tell me more about these 'Swordians' of yours," Lloyd said.

"It's a really long story," Judas said. "There are five Swordians. Dymlos of fire, Atwight of water, Chaltier of earth, Clemente of lightning, and Igtenos of wind. The wielder of Dymlos is Stahn Aileron, the wielder of Atwight is Rutee Katrea, the wielder of Clemente is Philia Philis, and the wielder of Igtenos is Garr Kelvin."

"And... who's the wielder of Chaltier?" Lloyd asked.

Judas placed a hand on his chest. "Me. I chose not to bring along the Swordian, in case it went insane like Dymlos and Atwight did." He opened his eyes. "It's strange, because Dymlos and Atwight were the only Swordians affected. I was afraid Chaltier would be possessed by the same force, so I left it in my home in Iselia."

"Do the Swordians... have souls?" Lloyd seemed awed.

"Yes, as a matter of fact," Judas replied. "Atwight and Dymlos were most likely possessed by some unseen force. I'd be willing to bet Dymlos is near Meltokio... the other location of the dark mana signature. And there's probably another dimensional shift there as well."

"She... Rutee... called you Emilio," Lloyd said. "I thought your name was Judas!"

"That... is only an alias." Judas glanced uneasily at Lloyd, his eyes seemingly filled with something resembling sorrow. "In years long past, I was called Emilio Katrea, the younger brother of Rutee Katrea. However, that name never did fit easily with me... it was eventually changed to Leon Magnus, partially to prevent being known as Rutee's sibling."

"Why did you abandon her?" Lloyd asked.

"That was around the time Atwight started acting funny," Judas replied. "She started to act a little off too, so I figured it would be best to see if I could handle myself alone. That failed as well, however..." his tone darkened. "...and I forgot Leon as well, to become the nameless, masked warrior I am now. The name Judas was given to me by Kyle Dunamis, the son of Stahn Aileron and my sister."

"So... what happened to them?" Lloyd seemed even more intrigued by this tale than before. "I mean, both Stahn and Rutee are possessed by their Swordians, so..."

"Both of them also underwent Cruxis Crystal treatment," Judas replied. "They're still stuck at their respective ages... and it's been a long time since I've seen Rutee. Kyle wasn't even alive when I killed Marian."

"How did you know of Kyle's existence, then?" Lloyd asked.

"By his older brother," Judas replied. "Loni Dunamis. He told me all about how the relationship between Stahn and Rutee had only deepened since his birth. And he also brought news of Kyle... such a smart kid for his age." He smiled ever so slightly. "Even at the age of eleven he was starting to wield the halberd... and he's only become more proficient with it over the years. The Exsphere he has certainly fits his profession."

"So there's Kyle and Loni," Lloyd said. "Could they possibly have been affected by the Swordians?"

"Very unlikely," Judas replied. "The Swordians usually only affect their masters. However, since Kyle was supposed to inherit Dymlos, he may have ended up possessed by it, if Stahn had chosen the wrong time to hand it over. Loni should've inherited Atwight, but he's about as skilled with a sword as a lame chipmunk."

Lloyd snickered. "Hey, tell me to remember that one. It could come in handy later on."

"Frankly, I say it should've been the other way around," Judas said. "Kyle probably would be able to handle Atwight a lot better than Dymlos, and Loni shouldn't have any trouble swinging around a bastard sword."

"What could've caused Atwight and Dymlos to be possessed in the first place?" Lloyd asked.

"There's most likely only one thing that could've done such a thing," Judas replied. "The power of Nebilim himself... but didn't you say you sealed Niflheim?"

"Yes, we did," Lloyd said. "We killed Nebilim and sealed Niflheim... and we destroyed the Devil's Arms as well."

"There must be some other force at work," Judas said, closing his eyes. "Probably the lingering power of Niflheim somehow managed to sneak its way into the Swordians, which might explain why Chaltier and the others weren't possessed. Nebilim probably started with Dymlos and Atwight, and wasn't able to possess any others before Niflheim's sealing."

"In that case, we're going to have to do something about that," Lloyd said. "We should probably start with Atwight, since-"

"Hold on a minute," Judas interrupted. "Dymlos is the stronger of the two, which means we should go after it first."

"Not a good idea," Lloyd said. "You'd be targeting a Swordian that's evidently very powerful and unlikely to cooperate... not to mention the fact that Stahn, being the wielder of Dymlos, will probably also be unlikely to cooperate. Let's go after Atwight first... then maybe we can free Rutee."

"You have a point," Judas said. "Since Atwight and Dymlos are elemental opposites, maybe we can free Atwight from its possession and use that to our advantage against Dymlos. It all makes sense now... I never even thought of that before."

"Well, looks like we just have to tell the others now," Lloyd said. "That shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

"Yeah, we just have to go back," Judas said. "They're probably at Sybak by now. Maybe we can hitch a ride on Kaze-Tenshi?"

"Probably," Lloyd said. "But I wouldn't even need to..." he called forth his wings. "...I can fly straight there."

"...That's what I meant," Judas muttered. "But if you so insist... yeah, all we need to do now is find the stupid Iapyx."

_I don't think that should be too hard,_ a voice suddenly said from behind them.

Judas practically jumped at the voice. "The hell? Where have you been?"

_I've been following you practically all this time,_ the voice said. _You should probably turn around if you want to see me, you idiots._

"You little bastard..." Judas muttered, turning to face Kaze-Tenshi. "You've been hiding all this time? Urgh... try not to hide around me, okay?"

_I'll try to remember that,_ Kaze-Tenshi said. _It's about time you noticed me, though._

"So, I guess this means off to Sybak," Lloyd said, smirking. "C'mon, let's get rolling!"

"Yes, off to Sybak," Judas said, sighing. "Some days I wish I had wings..."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

"Well, look at what we have here," Zelos said, peering out the door. "A Judas and a Lloyd. Not to mention... an Iapyx."

"An Iapyx?" Genis stepped out and looked around. "Yep, you're right. That's an Iapyx. Wonder what it's doing here."

_I'm here to help you guys,_ the Iapyx said. _Don't worry, I won't bite._

However, the introduction was cut short by the appearance of Kyle and Loni. Kyle set eyes on Judas and was immediately attached to him.

"Judas!" The blond boy was full of enthusiasm. "It's been forever! How are you?"

"It'd help if you got off me," Judas muttered, gently shoving Kyle off. "Some things are definitely amiss out there."

"And we have one hell of a long story to tell you, Zelos," Lloyd said. "Though I think it would be best if you gave those two some time to get acquainted."

"Heck, why would we need to get acquainted?" Kyle grinned at Lloyd. "We already know each other!"

"Oh, yeah, that's right," Lloyd said. "You're Kyle, right?"

"Yep, that's me," Kyle said. "I'm the great Kyle Dunamis, the descendant of the two greatest Swordian masters in the world!"

"So, Mask-man." Loni walked up to Judas and looked down at him. "You find any hot chicks while you were out?"

Judas turned slightly green. "Um, well, not really... unless you consider my _sister_ a 'hot chick'..."

"...Oh." Loni sweatdropped. "Sorry about that. I didn't realize you'd encounter _her_ out there. Did you finally manage to get her to snap out of it?"

"No," Judas said. "Atwight's still all loony. I hope _she_ snaps out of it as well."

This drew a confused glance from Lloyd. "Swordians have genders?"

"Not really," Judas said. "We just refer to them as 'he' or 'she' to keep from getting mixed up."

"...Oh," Lloyd said. "Well then, I guess we should get to work."

"Sure thing," Zelos said. "Tell us your story, and then we can get settled in to plans."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: Here are a few interesting things to note about some of the stuff in this fanfic.

1. In Tales of Destiny 2, there was a 'nameless swordsman' (using Chaltier I might add) that appeared out of nowhere and basically saved Kyle's butt. After finding out that this mysterious masked soldier had no name, Kyle decided to call him 'Judas', and from there Judas became the badass swordsman we all know today.

2. There are around eighteen years between Tales of Destiny and Tales of Destiny 2. Kyle is fifteen years old, and Loni is twenty-three years old.

3. Kyle and Loni are actually completely unrelated in Tales of Destiny 2. The reason they have the same last name is because they were both raised together at the Dunamis orphanage (who Rutee, Kyle's mother, just happened to be the head of). However, they are very close to one another, and so I decided to make them actual siblings in this storyline.

4. Stahn is dead in Tales of Destiny 2. I believe he was killed by Barbatos before the game begun.

5. Yes, this is how Loni actually acts in Tales of Destiny 2. He's a complete pervert (worse than Zelos), and he tends to have a rather amusing personality. I think he's bi in ToD2, which would explain why he constantly makes unnecessary comments about various people (including Judas, which is rather disturbing).

Well, that pretty much sums up my comments about this chapter, other than the fact that it took me so long to write it. I have Baten Kaitos, which will probably explain everything to those of you who have played it. :\


	10. Betrayal of Light and Planning

Crystal Feathers: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after 'To Kill An Angel'

Summary: After Niflheim was sealed, Lloyd thought the evils of the world to be dead. The group split up, expecting peace and quiet to reign around the world.

However, they were all in for a big surprise. Two years after Niflheim was sealed, the rising shadow that once concealed the world began to rise again... and now, Lloyd and the others must go on a journey to uncover the cause of the Rising Shadow and seal it away forever.

Pairings: LloydxColette and ZelosxSheena primarily, with some MithosxOC, YggdrasillxPronyma and GenisxPresea. There will also be hints at SelesxOC, YuanxMartel and KratosxRaine.

Author's Note: For the sake of keeping true to the storyline of Rising Shadow, there will be (as probably expected) very few hints at KxR. This is primarily to avoid offending all those random purists out there. I know that most of the purists will end up hating this story because of a few other pairings, but KxR seems to be the most hated of them.

As you all probably know, I'm a big fan of KxR. It's an official pairing in this storyline, though it will be rather rare. This fanfic will mostly focus on the action, though there will be some fluff inserted here and there.

This fanfic is based two years after 'To Kill An Angel', four years after 'Rising Shadow'. Therefore, Lloyd is 21, Colette is 20, Zelos is 26, Sheena is 23, Genis is 16, Presea is 16, Raine is 27, Abyssion is 27, Leviathan is 20, Seles is 18, Allurya is 8, Mithos is 16 and Karina is 15.

I might introduce more Tales of Destiny 2 characters later on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Destiny/Tales of Destiny 2, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 9: Betrayal of Light and Planning

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

"So basically what you're saying is, there are five Swordians, each with a different element, and they are controlled by five people who were chosen by the Swordians themselves." Zelos nodded. "But at the same time, you need access to Aionis to be able to wield them. How exactly does this work?"

"It's believed that the Aionis items are chosen by the Swordians as well," Judas replied. "The Aionis I bear is in the form of a bracelet that I usually only wear in battle. It allows me to control mana freely as well as wield the Swordian Chaltier."

"And you're also saying that two of the Swordians have betrayed their masters," Zelos said. "But Niflheim was sealed two years ago! How could something like this have happened? Doesn't make any sense to me."

"I ask the same questions," Judas said. "I've never been able to answer any of them. Let's just hope that Niflheim really was sealed forever..." He closed his eyes. "I think it would be best to attempt to take out Atwight first. There's only one problem with that..."

"We might have to kill Rutee," Lloyd said. "Such a thing would... not be in our best interest."

"So, the great Emilio Katrea is afraid to take on his big sister," Zelos said. "Sounds pretty pathetic to me. But what can I say? Go for it. If you kill her, so be it. She's dead and gone, who cares?"

This immediately brought up an aura of pure anger from Kyle and Loni. At the same time, the two exclaimed, "How can you be so heartless?"

"Relax, you two," Zelos said. "She's not gonna die. I can tell. Just take care of Atwight first, and then everything'll be okay."

"So we have to attack Atwight," Kyle said. "Sounds easy enough to me. Defeating it might end up being the hard part."

"Who's going with?" Loni asked.

Judas stood up. "I'm going for sure. I have to protect Rutee... make sure she doesn't die. It'll be a tough fight, so I advise we take along Kyle, Loni and Lloyd. Zelos would probably be of some assistance, and we'll need someone to take care of our injuries, so let's take Raine along as well."

"If Lloyd's going, I'm going too," Colette said. "You'll take me along, right?"

"Of course we will," Judas said. "Just... be careful, okay? I don't want any more casualties if we can help it."

"So, let's get going," Zelos said. "We don't want to waste any of our precious time, now do we?"

_'Take me along,'_ the voice of the Swordian Chaltier said. _'You don't want us to-'_

Judas sighed. "Yes, yes, I know, I know. Just give me a break, okay? Either that or figure out how to talk to people besides myself."

_'I already know how to,'_ Chaltier said. _'I just choose not to, because I think it's silly.'_

"Talking open is silly?" Judas rolled his eyes. "Everybody thinks I'm crazy enough because I'm talking to you all the time. And I was wondering how Lloyd was able to hear Atwight's voice..."

"Actually, I can hear Chaltier's too," Lloyd said. "It's probably the connection with the Eternal Sword."

"That's probable," Judas said. "The Eternal Sword is known to do some very strange things sometimes."

Suddenly, a new voice spoke up from outside. "Hey, you guys. You think you could let me in? I have something to tell you."

"Reala!" Kyle immediately stood up and ran over to the door, opening it. "Good to see you again! I was so worried about you..."

"There's no need to be worried about me," the girl standing outside said. "Just... you look after yourself, okay?"

"Oh, Reala..." Kyle practically melted into her arms. "I'm sorry for leaving you here..."

Loni grinned. "Looks like Kyle's finally getting to see his girlfriend again. I must admit, it's been a long time since those two saw each other."

Lloyd looked up. "...Oh, I didn't know about her. Kinda funny, since I've known Kyle all this time..."

"It's okay," Kyle said. "Not everyone knows about Reala..."

The girl named Reala nodded. "Yes, I understand. It's nice to meet you guys."

As Reala stepped in, Lloyd could finally take in her appearance. She was a small, slender girl, with pale skin and short brown hair that was tied on either side in the front by small, spherical items, two on the left and one on the right. Her dress was rather revealing on top and led down to an almost knee-length skirt that covered most of her lower body, pink in color with a long and thin red ribbon. She had pale bluish-white leggings that reached up to her knees, and small, bright red shoes.

Even to Lloyd, she was truly an exquisite sight. She was beautiful beyond all comprehension to Zelos, who managed to catch a glimpse of her.

"Leave her be, Lloyd," Loni said. "She's already taken." He winked.

"Yes, yes, I know, I know," Lloyd muttered. "Besides, I'm with Colette, right? And she's too young for me."

"Settle down, boys," Reala said. "I'm fine with you, just so long as you don't try to make any moves on me. I've had that happen more than once in my time..."

"There's only one person you'll have to worry about," Lloyd said, glancing at Zelos. "He's quite flirtatious most of the time."

"I've dealt with the flirtatious type before," Reala said. "Don't worry about me. If I can handle Loni, I can probably handle that guy."

"Yeah, Loni's probably worse," Lloyd said. "But at least _he_ could acknowledge the fact that you're already _with_ somebody..."

Zelos rolled his eyes. "Come on, I'm not that bad..."

"Then why are you always flirting with Colette?" Genis crossed his arms.

"It's not flirting!" Zelos retorted. "It's just friendly conversation!"

Genis rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say..."

"Kyle will have to introduce you all later," Reala said. "For now, though, I'd like to tell you something. The Desians have been betrayed again."

"Again?" Lloyd perked up. "What happened this time?"

"An Iubaris escaped," Reala replied. "Its name is Kiseki. They believe that it had a Cruxis Crystal attached to it with a Key Crest. I got information about this by infiltrating what once was the Asgard human ranch."

"Asgard human ranch, huh," Lloyd said. "Well, hopefully we can come across this 'Kiseki' sometime soon..."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: Yes, I know this chapter is a bit short. But there are some important notes I have to make.

In addition to the standard techs which can be seen in Tales of Symphonia, some of the characters will have their own techniques from Tales of Destiny 2. Hi-ougis aside, Kyle will have the Souhajin line of techniques (Souhajin/Garen Souhajin/Retsushou Souhajin), Loni will have Raijinshou (Thunderstrike in this fic), Reala will have Instant Nova, and Judas will have Senretsukokousen (which is essentially a reversed Sword Rain: Alpha). The characters will also have all their hi-ougis (except Reala, since hers are summons).

Keep all this in mind in case I decide to write a sequel.

Also, as a side note, Reala doesn't have her famous pendant in this fic. Instead, she has a Cruxis Crystal. Just so you know. ;)


	11. Atwight's Secret

Crystal Feathers: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after 'To Kill An Angel'

Summary: After Niflheim was sealed, Lloyd thought the evils of the world to be dead. The group split up, expecting peace and quiet to reign around the world.

However, they were all in for a big surprise. Two years after Niflheim was sealed, the rising shadow that once concealed the world began to rise again... and now, Lloyd and the others must go on a journey to uncover the cause of the Rising Shadow and seal it away forever.

Pairings: LloydxColette and ZelosxSheena primarily, with some MithosxOC, YggdrasillxPronyma and GenisxPresea. There will also be hints at SelesxOC, YuanxMartel and KratosxRaine.

Author's Note: For the sake of keeping true to the storyline of Rising Shadow, there will be (as probably expected) very few hints at KxR. This is primarily to avoid offending all those random purists out there. I know that most of the purists will end up hating this story because of a few other pairings, but KxR seems to be the most hated of them.

As you all probably know, I'm a big fan of KxR. It's an official pairing in this storyline, though it will be rather rare. This fanfic will mostly focus on the action, though there will be some fluff inserted here and there.

This fanfic is based two years after 'To Kill An Angel', four years after 'Rising Shadow'. Therefore, Lloyd is 21, Colette is 20, Zelos is 26, Sheena is 23, Genis is 16, Presea is 16, Raine is 27, Abyssion is 27, Leviathan is 20, Seles is 18, Allurya is 8, Mithos is 16 and Karina is 15.

I might introduce more Tales of Destiny 2 characters later on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Destiny/Tales of Destiny 2, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 10: Atwight's Secret

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

The group's next destination was the same dimensional shift that Lloyd had encountered Rutee in earlier. They headed for Triet, then continued on westward to their next location.

With Kaze-Tenshi's assistance, they passed through the dimensional shift, into its very core.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

"So, we meet again," Rutee's voice spoke, echoing through the chamber. "It's been a while since we last met... and it seems you've brought some new friends." She appeared in a flash of blue light, eyeing Judas.

"I'm not fighting alone this time," Judas said. "Do you remember the time you abandoned Kyle? Do you remember all those horrible days that you were controlled by Kaziro's spirit? Do you remember... abandoning _me_?"

"I remember it all," Rutee said. "You obviously don't remember, though... you were the one who abandoned me. Don't you remember?"

"I never abandoned you," Judas stated. "You have got to be kidding me! You started it all... the pain, the suffering... why would you do that just to bend to Kaziro's will?"

"You know there's only one thing that can break the will of Kaziro," Rutee said. "You know that you'll have to lose that mask someday..."

"I won't do it," Judas said. "There has to be some way around it... _some_ way! Dammit, I can't let Kaziro take you over again!"

"Too late," Rutee said. "Kaziro knows your every move... he watches through Atwight's eyes."

"What?" Judas jumped back at this statement.

"Kaziro took Atwight first," Rutee said. "And it's Kaziro who controls Dymlos as well. There's one other Swordian that is controlled by Kaziro, however... you'll just have to wait and see."

"I'll have to destroy Atwight, then," Judas said. "I can't be letting Kaziro take over. I can't betray anyone... _anyone_ who I've made promises to!"

"Your promises fell on deaf ears, Judas," Rutee said. "You made promises blindly, without even stopping to think about how they would affect you or others. Now, as it stands... are you ready?"

Rutee drew Atwight, its blade shining in the light of the stalactites above them. Judas closed his eyes as he drew Chaltier's blade, and opened them once again as he drew his shortsword.

"I'm ready for you," Judas said. Then, he turned to face the others. "Draw your weapons. This is going to be a long and hard fight."

Kyle, Loni, Zelos, Lloyd and Reala all drew their weapons, ready to take on their foe. Raine stood back, as she knew her help would be needed in this fight, and she didn't want to waste energy.

Judas turned to face Rutee again, and their eyes met for one brief moment. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to kill you... but it seems I may have to."

Rutee made the first move, bringing Atwight's blade forward to attack Judas. However, her attack was blocked, and Judas retaliated by thrusting Chaltier's blade forward. The attack was swiftly dodged, and Judas' strike flew off into space.

Kyle made his first move by performing Tiger Blade, which was enough to knock back Rutee. Loni jumped forward, preparing his own attack.

The halberd that Loni wielded was swung forward, striking Rutee as a red-hot aura began to glimmer around him. A second strike tore up the earth, followed by three rapid and even more powerful strikes. Then, Loni leaped into the air and put his weapon away as a blue sphere encircled him.

"**_FINAL PRAYER!_**"

The energy of the blue sphere was focused in front of Loni, and he loosed a massive stream of shining mana forward. The attack struck Rutee several times, but she had managed to bring up Atwight to absorb some of the attack.

Rutee knew that Loni's attack had done a lot of damage, but she also knew that she could restore her energy at will. She performed a quick First Aid, then jumped back and loosed Ice Tornado.

Judas swore under his breath. "Do you think we can take her down...?"

His answer came in the form of a massive explosion from the roof of the cave, which sent Rutee flying. Kyle glanced back at Reala and gave her a thumbs-up.

"You little brats...!" Rutee launched herself forward, slashing three times with her sword and knocking back Lloyd. The Eternal Swordsman picked himself up and retaliated with his own attack, following up with Double Demon Fang.

Zelos attacked with Sonic Thrust, followed by Fierce Demon Fang, then Hell Pyre. Rutee quickly shook off the attack, and retaliated with Freeze Lancer, then Spread.

"Remember," Atwight's bearer said. "There's only one way to break the will of Kaziro. Only Judas possesses the power..."

_'It looks like there's no other way out,'_ Chaltier said to its master. _'Do it.'_

_I have to do it,_ Judas thought. _But... I'm not ready to break the mask... figures. I'll just build myself a new one._

Judas turned to face the others. "Everyone, stand back. I don't want any of you guys getting hurt."

Kyle looked confused, but listened anyhow. The others did as well, all with a similar confused reaction.

"_Light of the heavens, come down upon this sword and reveal thy power!-_"

Judas launched himself forward, his sword glimmering with the brilliant azure light of Shining Blade. He performed five swift slashes and thrusts, then jumped back.

"_Flames of hell, unleash thy fury upon this foe!-_"

The sword turned to a magnificent, shining purple, and Judas leaped forward again to perform four more slashes and thrusts with the blade of purple.

Rutee then realized what Judas was doing, and flinched as he brought down both swords upon her.

For one horrifying moment, suspended in time, the air filled with a most frightening chill, like Celsius herself had come down and struck with the force of a thousand blizzards. Then, the mask that Judas bore shattered, its fragments scattering across the cavern floor. Lloyd realized then that the sheer power of the strike had been enough to break the mask, and Judas was going to do something that none of them had ever expected.

Judas fell back, his sword glimmering with an eerie red light. Then-

"**_Majin-Rengoku-Satsu!_**"

The swordsman launched himself forward, slashing upwards with the shortsword and loosing a massive pillar of dark mana. Then, he backed off, and performed a thrust with Chaltier's blade, one that caused blades of dark mana to drill into Rutee's body, breaking her connection with Atwight for just one brief moment.

The force of the attack caused Judas to fly backwards, but he managed to stop himself before he collided with any of his allies. He calmly walked over to the spot where he had broken his mask and picked up the pieces, stowing them away for later restoration.

"The hell...?" Zelos seemed thorougly confused by this latest display.

"That was pretty good," Rutee said. "Seems like you've finally managed to get rid of that pesky Kaziro. Atwight, you okay?"

_'Yeah, I'm fine,'_ the Swordian said. _'Just... you take care of yourself, okay? And it seems Judas doesn't want to part with his mask yet. You think you could fix that up as well?'_

"It shouldn't be that hard," Rutee said. "But first, I need to take care of myself."

Rutee cast Cure on herself, then used Atwight's power to restore Judas' mask. The younger swordsman seemed confused at first, but simply decided to place the mask back on his head instead of sitting there brooding over it.

"I wasn't expecting to have to use it this soon," Judas muttered. "I hoped that I'd be able to break the connection with a simple Shadow Strike, but..."

"I understand the feeling," Rutee said. "I was hoping and praying that you wouldn't have to use it... but it was really kinda necessary, unfortunately. Thanks for helping me out, though." She sheathed Atwight and walked closer to Judas.

The younger swordsman sighed. "I'm sorry about that... heheh. Turns out Kaziro's will is a lot harder to break than I thought it would be..." He sheathed his swords. "Welcome back, Rutee."

Rutee smiled, and took Judas into an embrace. Judas removed his mask and hung it on Chaltier's hilt, then returned the embrace, a faint smile drifting its way onto his face.

"Ain't that just adorable," Zelos said, grinning. "Well, I hope you two are finished with being all mushy soon. We have to get back to Triet, y'know."

"Sorry about that," Rutee said, smirking. "It's just the first time in eighteen years he's seen me without Kaziro's will in control."

Lloyd nodded. "We'll head back soon, okay? Just... for now, I think these two need their time together. So just leave them be, alright?"

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: Yep, there's Majin-Rengoku-Satsu for you. Betcha didn't see the part with the mask coming, did ya? And no, it's not Chaltier that's held by the will of Kaziro. You'll see which one it is later...


	12. Unwilling Dymlos

Crystal Feathers: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after 'To Kill An Angel'

Summary: After Niflheim was sealed, Lloyd thought the evils of the world to be dead. The group split up, expecting peace and quiet to reign around the world.

However, they were all in for a big surprise. Two years after Niflheim was sealed, the rising shadow that once concealed the world began to rise again... and now, Lloyd and the others must go on a journey to uncover the cause of the Rising Shadow and seal it away forever.

Pairings: LloydxColette and ZelosxSheena primarily, with some MithosxOC, YggdrasillxPronyma and GenisxPresea. There will also be hints at SelesxOC, YuanxMartel and KratosxRaine.

Author's Note: For the sake of keeping true to the storyline of Rising Shadow, there will be (as probably expected) very few hints at KxR. This is primarily to avoid offending all those random purists out there. I know that most of the purists will end up hating this story because of a few other pairings, but KxR seems to be the most hated of them.

As you all probably know, I'm a big fan of KxR. It's an official pairing in this storyline, though it will be rather rare. This fanfic will mostly focus on the action, though there will be some fluff inserted here and there.

This fanfic is based two years after 'To Kill An Angel', four years after 'Rising Shadow'. Therefore, Lloyd is 21, Colette is 20, Zelos is 26, Sheena is 23, Genis is 16, Presea is 16, Raine is 27, Abyssion is 27, Leviathan is 20, Seles is 18, Allurya is 8, Mithos is 16 and Karina is 15.

I might introduce more Tales of Destiny 2 characters later on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Destiny/Tales of Destiny 2, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 11: Unwilling Dymlos

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

The group's next destination was the region near Meltokio, where the other dark aura had been spotted. However, they quickly found the Swordian Dymlos' bearer, as he didn't lie in a dimensional shift.

**abc**

"So, you've come." The tall man that stood before them was a sharp contrast to the other Swordian master Lloyd had met.

_'And Atwight with them,'_ the voice of the Swordian Dymlos said.

"Your fight is hopeless," Judas stated. "You continue to follow the path of Kaziro, yet you do not realize the truth. Surrender now and consider your life saved."

"You honestly expect me to surrender?" Stahn's eyes smirked with his face, his expression genuinely menacing. "I thought you knew there was only one thing that can break the will of Kaziro."

_'Oh, is there?'_ Atwight said.

"Hold on a second," Stahn said, stepping back as his expression softened. "What's up with Atwight? I could've sworn just two days ago she was acting perfectly normal..."

_'It's you who's acting weird,'_ Chaltier said. _'Listening to the will of Kaziro, waiting for the Majin-Rengoku-Satsu to break Dymlos' deathgrip on you...'_

_'It's all futile,'_ Atwight said. _'The Majin-Rengoku-Satsu will never come. Judas is too weak to perform it.'_

_'Too 'weak', eh?'_ Dymlos 'smirked'. _'Well then, I'll just have to finish you off myself.'_

This time it was Stahn who turned against the Swordian. "No! Don't you remember? Atwight was your most beloved companion! You can't just kill her off! That's... that's not right! You can't follow the path of Kaziro..."

Dymlos' aura blazed up. _'What do you mean? Atwight is just another worthless pawn of Cruxis now that her link to Kaziro has been broken. All of Rutee's efforts are futile... you cannot change what has already happened.'_

"That's my... that's my..." Stahn turned away in an attempt to hide his anger from the others. "...that's my lover that you're insulting, there! You foolish Swordian... all you can see is the path that you have been brainwashed into believing by Kaziro!"

Judas' eyes widened. "He's actually strong enough to break his connection with Dymlos...?"

"You can't just turn your back on them," Stahn said. "You can't just... abandon them. They were your friends, remember? Igtenos was like your brother... annoying, but faithful and caring. Clemente... he was once your best friend, his master one of the most skilled of all. And Chaltier... do you remember your rivalry with him? It was such a beautiful relationship, one that could've turned around had you not betrayed him..."

_'They're all foolish,'_ Dymlos said. _'Atwight especially... I can't believe her! She tried to kill me once...'_

Stahn raised an eyebrow, then turned to face the others. "Hmph... seems he's not gonna listen to me on his own. He's practically been taken over by Kaziro." He shifted his eyes to Judas. "Use it."

Judas shook his head. "I can't. I'm too weak. Atwight was correct... I can't perform it..."

"Looks like I'm going to have to handle this by force, then." Stahn stepped forward. "Judas. Hand me Chaltier."

"And just what would you be doing with my Swordian?" Judas questioned.

"I'll need him," Stahn said. "Just... do it."

Judas nodded, questioning Stahn's judgment no further. He removed the Swordian from its sheath and calmly offered it to Stahn, who took it without hesitation.

Then, Stahn turned to face Rutee. "I'm gonna need Atwight too. This will be no minor task."

"Sure thing," Rutee said, handing over the Swordian.

"Alright." Stahn closed his eyes. "_Holy lightning, I call upon thy power to bring punishment upon thy foe! **Divine Judgment!**_"

All three Swordians lit up with a magnificent glow as the light of judgment fell upon Stahn. When the attack had finished, Dymlos' master collapsed onto the ground, dropping both Swordians.

"Stahn!" Rutee called out, rushing forward. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Stahn picked himself up. "Just... a little worn out. That attack did a number on my mana."

"You just attacked yourself without flinching," Judas said. "Why did you do that?"

"I had to do it," Stahn said. "Otherwise I could never have broken Kaziro's deathgrip on Dymlos. Of course, it's only a temporary solution... we'd either have to have the will broken by Majin-Rengoku-Satsu, or we'll have to eradicate Kaziro himself. I think the latter would be a better option."

"How long should the effects last?" Judas asked.

"About a month," Stahn replied. "It wasn't a very powerful attack. I didn't want to kill myself."

"Who is this Kaziro guy, anyway?" Lloyd's curiosity was piqued by the mention of Kaziro.

"Kaziro is a man who followed Nebilim's path," Judas replied, closing his eyes as he retrieved Chaltier. "The name Kaziro, to this day, instills fear in Swordian masters. He is capable of possessing people and forcing them to do his bidding, and I'd imagine the Swordians are no exception. Though how he escaped Niflheim's sealing remains a mystery..."

"That leaves only one option," Lloyd said. "If he's the one who possessed Atwight and Dymlos in the first place, then he's the one we've got to stop!"

"Stopping Kaziro won't be easy," Stahn said. "If he managed to escape Niflheim, then he probably stays around the Tower of Destruction's old ground. You know... the crater."

"Dammit..." Lloyd muttered. "That means... we won't be able to catch him..."

_'We should catch up to the other Swordian masters,'_ Dymlos said. _'Garr especially. If we can manage to speak with him, we should be alright.'_

"Yes," Stahn said. "Igtenos is a powerful Swordian. If we can enlist his assistance, we should be just fine."

"There's one other Swordian that is possessed," Rutee said. "We're still not sure whether it's Igtenos or Clemente."

"I doubt that's true," Judas said. "Even if there were, what's the chance it'd be a named one? There could be other Swordians out there, for all we know."

"We should make sure before we go," Rutee said. "If there really is another Swordian out there that's possessed, then perhaps breaking Kaziro's hold on it will weaken him."

_'I have a bad feeling about this,'_ Chaltier said.

"Don't worry about it," Judas said. "I'll handle it if anything goes wrong. Remember, Majin-Rengoku-Satsu can break Kaziro's will easily. It won't be that hard."

_'We'll see about that,'_ Dymlos said.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: I honestly have no idea what I'm going to do with Kaziro. If you, the readers, could contribute ideas, I would greatly appreciate it.

If you're having trouble picturing Stahn, he has hair and eyes similar to Kyle's, except with much longer hair. Like father like son. ;)


	13. The Ultimate Sacrifice

Crystal Feathers: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after 'To Kill An Angel'

Summary: After Niflheim was sealed, Lloyd thought the evils of the world to be dead. The group split up, expecting peace and quiet to reign around the world.

However, they were all in for a big surprise. Two years after Niflheim was sealed, the rising shadow that once concealed the world began to rise again... and now, Lloyd and the others must go on a journey to uncover the cause of the Rising Shadow and seal it away forever.

Pairings: LloydxColette and ZelosxSheena primarily, with some MithosxOC, YggdrasillxPronyma and GenisxPresea. There will also be hints at SelesxOC, YuanxMartel and KratosxRaine.

Author's Note: For the sake of keeping true to the storyline of Rising Shadow, there will be (as probably expected) very few hints at KxR. This is primarily to avoid offending all those random purists out there. I know that most of the purists will end up hating this story because of a few other pairings, but KxR seems to be the most hated of them.

As you all probably know, I'm a big fan of KxR. It's an official pairing in this storyline, though it will be rather rare. This fanfic will mostly focus on the action, though there will be some fluff inserted here and there.

This fanfic is based two years after 'To Kill An Angel', four years after 'Rising Shadow'. Therefore, Lloyd is 21, Colette is 20, Zelos is 26, Sheena is 23, Genis is 16, Presea is 16, Raine is 27, Abyssion is 27, Leviathan is 20, Seles is 18, Allurya is 8, Mithos is 16 and Karina is 15.

I might introduce more Tales of Destiny 2 characters later on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Destiny/Tales of Destiny 2, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix.

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Chapter 12: The Ultimate Sacrifice

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

The group decided to head out to Flanoir, where Garr had last been spotted. Since Dymlos had temporarily broken its link to Kaziro, it told the others all about what happened while Stahn was under the control of Kaziro.

They quickly encountered Garr, northeast of Meltokio. Lloyd was startled at the sudden appearance of the Swordian master.

**abc**

"It's been a while," Stahn said casually. "What's been happening lately?"

"Oh, plenty, if you get my drift," Garr replied. "Just one more note: You might want to watch your back, because you never know when it's gonna get stabbed."

Stahn's eyes widened. "You mean...?"

_'We've been betrayed,'_ Chaltier said suddenly. _'I knew it all along. I **knew** there was something wrong with Igtenos...'_

"The little earth render is right," Garr said, smirking. "You guys could never trust me... you worthless bastards."

"You were the other one," Stahn said, drawing Dymlos. "You... you were the other Swordian that was possessed by Kaziro..."

"Think again." A new voice spoke up from behind them, completely unexpectedly. "What Atwight didn't tell you is that only one of the Swordians chose the wrong path."

"The wrong path, huh?" Stahn turned to face the new voice. "Evidently you're getting your paths mixed up, because _you_ are the ones that have taken the wrong path."

"Who's that?" Lloyd asked, turning in the direction Stahn was facing.

"Another one of our acquaintances," Stahn replied. "That's Philia. Never expected _she'd_ follow the path of Kaziro..."

"That can't be true..." Lloyd's eyes widened. "That means... Chaltier was the only one that wasn't..."

The one named Philia stepped forward. "How naive... you can't even recognize your own mistake. Now you'll forever live on with that knowledge haunting you."

"This can't be true..." Judas suddenly fell back, holding his head. "No... this can't be true... traitors... and I'm one as well..."

"It's incredible you've acknowledged the fact that you're a traitor," Garr said. "Now, I think you should die by my blade."

"No..." Judas suddenly launched forward, drawing both swords. "Everyone, stand back! Don't question my judgment, just _do it!_"

Judas began shining with the black light of an agitated aura as the others slowly stepped back. They didn't know what to expect, nor did they know why; but as Judas said, they did not question his judgment.

"_Mazewara dareshi inochi ni..._"

Chaltier's blade suddenly lit up with a magnificent, glimmering aura, and it exuded a long, triangular blade of mana.

"_...ima motarasaren setsuna no kiseki!-_"

Judas launched himself forward, performing three slashes, followed by a thrust and then an upward slash, and he launched himself backward after the final slash.

"_Toki wo kete..._"

The blade of mana changed to a brilliant, shining purple.

"_...koko ni yuugou seshi mirai he no taidou!-_"

Judas flung himself at his target again, performing two slashes, followed by a thrust, then a cross cut with both swords.

"**_-GISHOU KEN!_**"

Chaltier's blade, shining with a blinding white light, was brought down on the opponent, and the mask shattered, though Judas appeared to be too infuriated to even notice.

"_Boku wa... kako wo tachikiru..._"

Judas fell back once again, Chaltier's blade glimmering with that eerie red aura. He then launched himself forward, performing that same upward slash as before, with the same pillar of blood-red light...

"**_MAJIN-RENGOKU-SATSU!_**"

...and with more force than ever before, he performed the technique that he had once sworn never to use again. The blades of red and white mana encircled the once-masked swordsman, drilling into his foe with untold force. And this time, instead of merely disturbing the mana of the foe's body, they sliced deep into the target's skin, essentially shredding it from the inside out.

By the time Judas had fallen back from the recoil, Garr was a bloodied mess. Barely alive, the master of Igtenos attempted to stand up, only to fall back down.

"Heh... it seems you've done better than I thought..." Garr sighed, not bothering to save his last breaths. "You... you can now say... Judas... you've killed... the master... of a Swordian..." He coughed. "Just one more thing... Kaziro is south of Flanoir... near the Temple of Ice... he relocated from the Tower..."

"You've got to save him, Rutee," Lloyd said. "You... can use healing magic, right?"

"I'm sorry," Rutee said sorrowfully. "There is... nothing more I can do for him. He's... gone. Sad to say, but... he's really not coming back."

"It's really a shame..." Garr managed to utter. "Stahn... take Igtenos... give it to Mithos... he deserves it..."

"As you wish," Stahn said, stepping forward. "And... I'm sorry we had to kill you."

Garr shook his head. "It's alright... my life was a lie anyhow... I wish I was in... as high a position... as I once was... as you are now... but here I am... fallen by the blade of the demon..."

And with that, Igtenos' master breathed his last. The Swordian cried out, sounding almost as if it were in pain.

"There's no time for a proper burial, though," Judas said, turning to face Philia. "We still have one more nuisance to deal with."

"And you sure as hell won't get away with this," Philia stated, drawing Clemente. "_Majin-Rengoku-Satsu_ I can understand, but _killing_ a faithful companion? You're just as much of a traitor as your namesake."

"And that's where you're wrong," Judas said. "I did it for the sake of all good. You... kill for no reason."

"I don't think you'll be getting anywhere, though," Philia said. "**_Thunder Blade!_**"

Judas looked up just in time to see a sword of lightning fall from the sky, and his mana was disturbed as the sword fell directly upon him and sent a massive electric current coursing through the ground. He fell back quickly, unable to withstand another attack.

"Kyle, you've got to do something!" Loni rushed forward, weapon drawn.

"Yeah, I know!" Kyle managed to pick himself up, quickly drawing his weapon. Before he even got halfway to his target, he performed Double Demon Fang, which was enough to knock back Philia.

Stahn quickly turned to face Philia, and cast Eruption. However, Philia picked herself up, and cast Spread, sending Stahn flying into the air.

Seeing this, Rutee cast Aqua Laser. Philia blocked the attack with Force Field, then retaliated with Spark Wave. Rutee was forced to fall back, the intense blow dealing more damage than she expected.

Philia was suddenly caught off-guard by a Destruction attack from Loni. However, she quickly turned and retaliated by loosing Flame Lance, which was enough to send Loni flying. He landed painfully on top of Reala, who had come along for the trip.

Kyle, infuriated, launched into one of his own techniques.

"_Light of the moon, I call upon your power!-_"

For less than a second, Kyle charged his attack, then leaped forward and performed a slash, followed by three thrusts, aimed in a vertical line from bottom to top. He then leaped into the air, the sky turning to night and the moon shining brightly against his blackened silhouette.

"**_SOURYUU-_**"

Kyle came crashing down, his sword contacting the ground.

"**_-METSUGAZAN!_**"

Four pillars of light encircled his target, rising high into the blackened sky. After just a few strikes with the whirling light mana, a fifth, brilliant blue pillar exploded out of the ground, reaching into the sky.

Kyle jumped back, the earth still bearing the mark of his sword. The sky turned to day again, the sun shining as if nothing had ever happened.

"You little brat..." Philia rushed forward, slashing blindly with her sword. "I'll make you pay for this!"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a magnificent explosion of light occurred, and Mithos appeared in a flurry of angelic feathers. Judas turned for a brief second, his eyes falling on the leader of Cruxis.

"Something's obviously been going on here," Mithos said. "It's been a while since I saw you guys. How are you all doing?"

Mithos turned to face Garr's body, and seeing Igtenos, he quickly floated over to it and picked up the Swordian. Igtenos seemed displeased at this act, but made no move against Mithos.

"Use it again, Judas," the angelic swordsman called out. "I know you're tired, but you've got to do it! And please... try not to kill your target this time!"

Judas nodded, and turned to face Philia. Calling forth the last of his strength, he performed his Shining Blade, then Shadow Strike, and finally Majin-Rengoku-Satsu, all the while praying that his attack wouldn't kill Philia.

However, as soon as the recoil of the attack faded, Judas suddenly felt a new strength roaring through his body. He leaped into the air, and the Cruxis Crystal he bore glimmered with a magnificent red light.

Everyone looked up just in time to see magnificent sapphire wings explode from the swordsman's back, wings bearing long and thin feathers, and sparkling with brilliant white and blue light.

Philia, who had managed to pull through Judas' attack, glanced up at the newborn angel. Clemente seemed quite pleased with the transformation.

Judas descended, his own surprise overtaking him. He quickly sheathed his swords, and felt behind himself in disbelief, almost as if the wings weren't even there.

"Yep, they're there," Kyle said, grinning. "You're an angel. Congratulations, Judas."

"I can't believe it..." Judas still seemed shocked, his breathing slowing to a crawl. "It's... it's almost as if... I really have been reborn... and Marian..." his breathing quickened. "...oh, Marian!"

Sure enough, the translucent form of Marian projected itself before Judas. She appeared to be several years older than him, bearing the body of a full-grown woman, rather than simply a young teenager. She had long black hair and similarly colored eyes, though those eyes seemed to be gentle and almost sparkled with life despite the spirit form.

"The hell...?" Lloyd looked confused as he gazed upon Marian's form.

"She's awful old for you," Zelos remarked. "You should've at least picked a slightly younger girl."

"Don't worry about it," Loni said. "A lot of people commented on his relationship with her all those years ago."

"It's all about the love, right?" Kyle grinned.

"Well, I suppose," Zelos said. "But still..."

Judas, however, seemed to be preoccupied. "...Marian... you've returned...!"

"Yes, I know." Marian's voice was almost musical, delicate and magnificent against the soft wind. "It's been a long time, hasn't it? Seventeen years, give or take a month?"

"Marian... I thought I'd never see your face again..." Judas' eyes turned wet, filling with tears of joy. "...but here you are... returned at last...!"

Marian's form floated forward, embracing Judas. "Yes... and I'm never going to leave you, ever again."

Zelos grinned. "It may be weird, but I must admit, they look pretty damn cute together."

"You're right, Zelos," Mithos commented. "They certainly look good together..."

"I just think it's so cool," Lloyd said. "I mean, they're together again, they're both alive... it's just so amazing!"

"Well, Judas," Kyle said, his grin widening. "It looks like you won't be looking for a girlfriend anymore."

**abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz**

Author's Note: Alright, I have a few comments to make on this chapter.

I sure hope I got the incantation for Giren Shoureizan (Shining Blade and Shadow Strike in this fic) right. And yep, Souryuu Metsugazan is Kyle's coolest tech. Period.

Garr dies, big deal. He was pretty useless anyhow. (he makes an appearance in Tales of Symphonia in the Meltokio Coliseum, so those of you who have fought the 'Tales Trio' will know who he is)

I'm not exactly fond of Philia, and I've only seen Marian's face. So... you should probably look it up.

I read somewhere that Marian is, like, eight years older than Leon, but I always found it touching that Leon would do anything for Marian. I mean, he betrayed Stahn and the others for her sake... (at least I think, I've never played Tales of Destiny)

This fanfic probably would've had a JudasxChelsea pairing if it weren't for Marian's return.

And yep, Judas is an angel... quite ironic if you ask me.


	14. Broken Mask: The Day Before

Crystal Feathers: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after 'To Kill An Angel'

Summary: After Niflheim was sealed, Lloyd thought the evils of the world to be dead. The group split up, expecting peace and quiet to reign around the world.

However, they were all in for a big surprise. Two years after Niflheim was sealed, the rising shadow that once concealed the world began to rise again... and now, Lloyd and the others must go on a journey to uncover the cause of the Rising Shadow and seal it away forever.

Pairings: LloydxColette and ZelosxSheena primarily, with some MithosxOC, YggdrasillxPronyma and GenisxPresea. There will also be hints at SelesxOC, YuanxMartel and KratosxRaine.

Author's Note: For the sake of keeping true to the storyline of Rising Shadow, there will be (as probably expected) very few hints at KxR. This is primarily to avoid offending all those random purists out there. I know that most of the purists will end up hating this story because of a few other pairings, but KxR seems to be the most hated of them.

As you all probably know, I'm a big fan of KxR. It's an official pairing in this storyline, though it will be rather rare. This fanfic will mostly focus on the action, though there will be some fluff inserted here and there.

This fanfic is based two years after 'To Kill An Angel', four years after 'Rising Shadow'. Therefore, Lloyd is 21, Colette is 20, Zelos is 26, Sheena is 23, Genis is 16, Presea is 16, Raine is 27, Abyssion is 27, Leviathan is 20, Seles is 18, Allurya is 8, Mithos is 16 and Karina is 15.

I might introduce more Tales of Destiny 2 characters later on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Destiny/Tales of Destiny 2, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix.

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Chapter 13: Broken Mask: The Day Before

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"So you've really broken the mask," Lloyd said. "Quite an amazing task, if I do say so myself."

"I no longer need it," Judas stated. "All of my loved ones have returned... and there is no further need of a mask to conceal my identity."

"It's amazing, you know," Lloyd said. "It's amazing how, with just one simple mana infusion, you were able to essentially bring back the life of Marian."

"Marian's life was not an easy one," Judas said, closing his eyes. "She endured a life of hardships up until she met me... and her meeting me forced me to kill her. Quite an unfortunate turn of events..."

"Well, at least you got some before she died," Zelos remarked.

Judas glared at him. "I'd rather you not mention that."

"Why?" Zelos walked over to Judas, looking him in the eye. "I mean, you loved her, why not make that knowledge that you made love to her more... y'know, open?"

"Because it's not something you just tell anyone," Judas muttered. "You're almost as bad as Loni..."

"Hey, that's not fair!" Loni yelled. "_I'm_ supposed to be the king of pervertedness!"

"You still are," Judas said. "But at least _you_ don't make unnecessary comments about relatives. Except maybe Kyle... but he's an exception."

"Loni makes unnecessary comments about Kyle?" Zelos smirked. "That's some awful weird incest, there."

"Not in _that _way!" Loni seemed suddenly infuriated. "He meant, like, teaching him girl stuff and the like."

"Oh, _that's_ okay," Zelos said. "But man, I was so worried you two were, like..."

"Alright, that's enough," Reala said. "I thought you all knew Kyle likes me."

"In a _completely and totally non-perverted sense,_" Zelos said sarcastically. "Face it, we _know_ you've slept with him."

"I have not!" Reala seemed shocked by this statement. "I'm... too young to do something like that!"

"That's what Sir Ex-Mask Boy said," Zelos said. "Before he took the virginity of a person eight years older than himself."

"We'd known each other for longer than that," Judas said. "And besides... I ended up killing her anyhow... so how does it matter?"

"I'm not dead yet," Marian said, stepping into the room. "I'm still alive and well... well, _now_ I am."

"Yeah, we all know that," Zelos muttered. "I _heard_ you two making love last night, y'know."

"Oh come on, I'm not _that_ loud!" Judas seemed embarrassed and annoyed at the same time. "Surely the rest of you didn't hear me... did you?"

"I hate to admit it, but I did," Reala said, hanging her head in shame. "I'm... sorry."

"No, it's alright," Marian said. "Besides, Judas was the only one making noise... so technically it's _his_ fault."

Judas growled. "You little..."

"Back off, Mask-boy," Loni said. "You do realize that's your lover you're insulting there, right?"

"No matter," Zelos said. "He probably doesn't care anyhow."

"Mind your manners," Reala scolded. "I don't want anybody to be angry."

"No, it's alright," Marian said. "He acts like this all the time. Don't worry about him." She walked over to Judas and embraced him. "No need to worry, alright?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry," Judas said, smiling. "It's just... it's kinda hard to avoid things like that, y'know?"

"Alright, the mushiness is just getting sickening now," Zelos muttered. "So, what's this about your mask?"

"I'm keeping it off," Judas replied. "I don't need the mask anymore. Now that Rutee and Marian are back... I guess it's kinda hard to keep something like that. But I really don't need it. I'm keeping my name, but... not the mask."

"Guess this means I can't call you Mask-boy anymore," Loni said, exaggerating sorrow.

Judas glared at Loni. "Oh would you just knock it off!"

"The mask is broken and Marian is back," Lloyd said. "You know we're going to have to fight Kaziro tomorrow... I want you all to be ready for it."

"We'll be ready," Judas said. "Trust me."

Marian finally backed off. "I'll help in any way I can..."

"You stay in your Cruxis Crystal." Judas' voice was stern. "I don't want anything happening to you."

"Technically, I can't die," Marian said. "I mean, my physical body is just concentrated mana now. It can be harmed, but it can't really be destroyed."

"Unless the crystal is broken," Loni said. "But we all know Ex-Mask-boy won't let _that_ happen, will he?"

"Shut up, you." Judas glared at Loni again.

_'I think now would be a good time to stop trying to convince everyone to be quiet,'_ Chaltier remarked.

"I know," Judas said. "But I can't exactly do anything about their..." he cleared his throat. "...unnecessary comments. If we're gonna be fighting Kaziro, we have to have a _little_ seriousness left."

"Sor-_ry_," Zelos said, glaring at Judas. "It's not _my_ fault you were so friggin' _loud_."

Judas blushed. "Would you stop bringing that up, please?"

"It really does pain him to hear that," Marian said. "Please don't, okay?"

Mithos stepped into the room. "Personally I'd like to say that you guys must have _really_ sensitive hearing. I didn't hear him at all."

"Didn't hear him at all, huh," Zelos said, glancing at Mithos. "Seems rather odd for you, Angel-boy."

"I'm serious!" Mithos shook his head. "I'm sorry to say this, but... you guys are idiots. Leave poor Judas alone!"

"'Poor' Judas, huh," Zelos said. "How come he was the only one who could break Kaziro's will?"

"I have a feeling we're going to be seeing that Majin-Rengoku-Satsu again soon," Loni commented. "I mean, what with how he's been acting lately..."

"A good _Majin-Senretsushou_ should set Kaziro in his place," Judas said, grinning. "Or maybe a _Shouha-Retsukousen_."

"I personally think a _Shouhou Zetsurenshou_ should be able to finish him off," Kyle commented, entering the room. "Maybe a _Retsushou Souhajin_."

Loni smirked. "Or maybe a _Shinten-Rekkuu-Zankou-Senpuu-Messai-_"

"Alright, that's enough," Lloyd interrupted. "We get it already. You want to practice some of your ultra-cool techniques on this Kaziro guy."

"Only cause there's nothing else to do with him," Judas muttered. "And besides, I've been wanting to try out _Majin-Senretsushou_ for a while."

"Enough blabbering about techniques," Zelos said. "This is getting boring. Really boring. Really, _really_ boring. So please, knock it off, okay?"

"I don't know," Judas said. "I certainly prefer this conversation over how noisy I am in bed."

"You're not loud at all," Mithos said. "You don't need to worry about that."

_'I wouldn't be so sure of that,'_ Igtenos commented, which earned it a glare from Mithos.

"I personally think we should be getting ready for tomorrow," Lloyd said. "Regardless of how much noise Judas made last night, there's no telling what'll happen tomorrow. We just have to be ready."

"That at least is true," Stahn said. "But I don't think we should worry. If Kaziro decides to so much as lay a _finger_ on Judas, Dymlos will have something to say about him." He patted the hilt of his Swordian. "Right, Dymlos?"

_'Sure as hell,'_ the Swordian replied, laughing a bit.

"We should be prepared for anything," Marian said, frowning. "And if you guys keep acting childish like this..."

"I understand," Judas said. "It's about time we got going, okay?"

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Author's Note: I'm trying to decide whether to M-ify this or not.

Yes, Loni gives Kyle girl help. Though through half the story, Kyle doesn't really need it, he has Reala.

And no, don't expect to see any more mask. He's broken it for good, hence the title of this chapter.

I wanted an excuse to blabber about Tales of Destiny 2 techs, so I picked a few hi-ougis. The full name of the tech Loni was mentioning is _Shinten-Rekkuu-Zankou-Senpuu-Messai-Shinbatsu-Kassatsu-Geki_. The failure version is _Shinten-Rekkuu-Zankou-Senpuu-Messai-Shinbatsu-Kougeki_. And yes, that is one of Loni's techs. His other hi-ougis are Final Prayer, Spiral Driver and Critical Blade.


	15. Kaziro, the Dark Lord

Crystal Feathers: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after 'To Kill An Angel'

Summary: After Niflheim was sealed, Lloyd thought the evils of the world to be dead. The group split up, expecting peace and quiet to reign around the world.

However, they were all in for a big surprise. Two years after Niflheim was sealed, the rising shadow that once concealed the world began to rise again... and now, Lloyd and the others must go on a journey to uncover the cause of the Rising Shadow and seal it away forever.

Pairings: LloydxColette and ZelosxSheena primarily, with some MithosxOC, YggdrasillxPronyma and GenisxPresea. There will also be hints at SelesxOC, YuanxMartel and KratosxRaine.

Author's Note: For the sake of keeping true to the storyline of Rising Shadow, there will be (as probably expected) very few hints at KxR. This is primarily to avoid offending all those random purists out there. I know that most of the purists will end up hating this story because of a few other pairings, but KxR seems to be the most hated of them.

As you all probably know, I'm a big fan of KxR. It's an official pairing in this storyline, though it will be rather rare. This fanfic will mostly focus on the action, though there will be some fluff inserted here and there.

This fanfic is based two years after 'To Kill An Angel', four years after 'Rising Shadow'. Therefore, Lloyd is 21, Colette is 20, Zelos is 26, Sheena is 23, Genis is 16, Presea is 16, Raine is 27, Abyssion is 27, Leviathan is 20, Seles is 18, Allurya is 8, Mithos is 16 and Karina is 15.

I might introduce more Tales of Destiny 2 characters later on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Destiny/Tales of Destiny 2, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix.

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Chapter 14: Kaziro, the Dark Lord

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Using Garr's words as guidance, the group headed out to the Temple of Ice, where Kaziro was believed to be located. What they encountered when they reached their destination was more than slightly startling.

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Before Lloyd stood the same cloaked figure that had been encountered in Vinheim not too long ago. Judas was audibly growling, teeth bared, like an angered wolf, and Kyle was glaring indignantly at the one named Kaziro.

"So it was you all along," Kratos said. "You were the one who attacked us in Vinheim. You were the one who's behind the Swordians' possession."

"So, I see you've figured it out," the cloaked figure said. "I'm sure I don't need to introduce myself. Some of you already know me, ne?"

"Kaziro," Judas hissed. "If you desire to continue your life, you must surrender. **Now**."

"I don't take empty threats," Kaziro said, smirking. "As a matter of fact, the last time I encountered you, it was _you_ who was reeling."

"We're not alone this time," Loni said. "This time, you're going down, no matter what you say. You're the one who's making empty threats."

"I seem to recall it was the Eternal Swordsman who killed Nebilim," Kaziro said. "Well, in that case, I'll just have to kill him after I eradicate you guys."

"How are you supposed to know who the Eternal Swordsman is?" Kyle questioned. "For all you care, it could be any of us."

"That means I'm going to have to kill you all," Kaziro said, his smirk growing wider. "I'll just have to do it one-by-one."

Everyone drew their weapons, as Lloyd stated, "We're not gonna lose to the likes of you!"

Kaziro responded with a Chaos Pulse, which knocked back Lloyd and Kyle. Lloyd seemed to be particularly affected by it, and everyone seemed to be wondering why.

However, they would have little time for wondering. Kaziro fired off Bloody Lance, which targeted Loni, forcing him to fall back.

"You can't defeat me," Kaziro said. "You might as well just give up now."

"We're not giving up," Kratos said, launching himself forward. "And if you believe we will, _face your death!_"

Kaziro was suddenly knocked back by Fierce Demon Fang, then thrown into the air and struck by Hell Pyre. Kratos landed on the ground, completely unscathed by his chain of attacks.

"Oh, who ever said _I_ was going to face my death?" Kaziro said, standing up again. "I mean, after all, you guys have long deserved death for your treacherous acts!"

He punctuated this statement with a Dark Sphere, which struck Kyle and Loni at the same time, throwing them backwards. Kyle collided with Reala, sending her flying into a mountain.

"Gah!" Loni screamed, charging forward. "You're not gonna get me next time!"

Kaziro put up a Force Field just in time to feel Loni's Thunderstrike tear through his body, then was knocked back by Hurricane Thrust followed by Infinite Destruction. Loni then fell back, and in the blink of an eye had cast Prism Sword, which caused Kaziro to flinch.

"You bastards!" Kaziro shouted. "You're not getting away with this!"

Loni was suddenly struck by a blast of dark energy, which Kaziro called Shadow Laser. He was then caught up in a massive hole of pure shadow, which Kaziro called Negative Gate.

Judas, however, was not going to stand for it. He quickly responded by launching a spell that no one had seen before.

"**_Stalactite Rain!_**"

In a reverse impression of Stalagmite, several large spears of rock fell from the sky, most of them connecting with Kaziro. Then, an earthquake occurred, which threw Kaziro into the air and dropped him straight into a Grave spell.

Then, Judas found himself being thrown back by a Shadow Laser followed by Negative Gate. Kaziro chuckled evilly as he watched the young swordsman flounder on the ground for several seconds after the attack.

"At least try and be a little more creative with your spells," Kyle said. "I mean, after all, at least we have variety in our diets!"

Kaziro was suddenly struck by Flame Lance, which had evidently come from the recovering Kyle. An Eruption quickly followed, then Air Thrust.

The dark lord then smirked. Calling upon energy that seemed not even to exist in the dimension of Symphonia, he loosed an enhanced Shadow Laser, then Chaos Pulse, and finally a third, much more mysterious spell.

Two massive dimensional holes, with one floating above the targeted point and the other a distance away beneath it, appeared, launching rays of dark energy towards the targets within range. The attack finished with an explosion of dark energy, which sent the targets flying.

And it just so happened to be that the entire group was targeted by this Execution attack.

Once Loni recovered, he signaled to Kyle to attack. Kyle got up soon after, and then started his own technique.

A circle of fire appeared beneath Kyle, floating up to his sword and encircling it. Then Kyle launched himself forward.

"**_ZUUPA!-_**"

Kyle let his sword impale Kaziro as it charged with even more fire energy.

"**_-MESSHOUGEKI!_**"

Kaziro was thrown off the sword by a gigantic explosion, which sent him flying quite a distance before he fell back.

"Nice one, Kyle," Lloyd commented.

"You little brat!" Kaziro screeched, running forward again. "Take this!"

Kyle was thrown off by Dark Sphere, then Bloody Lance, and finally Shadow Laser. However, Judas got in the way of the third spell, absorbing it for Kyle.

Then, a new voice was heard.

"You guys, watch out for yourselves! This guy means business!"

Loni, recognizing the voice, looked in the direction it was coming from, when suddenly Kaziro was knocked back by an Absolute. Lloyd seemed grateful for the assistance, even if he didn't know where it came from.

Kyle evidently recognized the voice as well. "Nanaly! Where have you been?"

A girl with long red hair, tied back on either side, and purple eyes stepped out from seemingly nowhere, evidently obscured by the snow. She was clothed very lightly, though she was also wearing a heavy overcoat. A bow was mounted on her back, as well as a quiver of arrows. She appeared to be around nineteen years old. Her first reaction to Loni was to wink at him.

"Ah, yes, Nanaly Fletch," Loni said, grinning. "Always there on time to save her poor boyfriend's butt."

The girl named Nanaly glared at Loni. "I'm not your girlfriend!"

"Could've fooled me," Loni said, smirking.

"Enough chat," Kyle said. "It's time to bring this guy down!"

"Hey, Judas!" Nanaly called. "If you're listening, try using the Majin-Rengoku-Satsu!"

"Yes, fighting fire with fire," Judas said, nodding. "It always worked in the past."

"I'm afraid that won't do," Kaziro said. "I've handled your Majin-Rengoku-Satsu before. It can't be that difficult, can it?"

"The mask has always hindered my power," Judas said, turning to face Kaziro. "For longer than I can remember, I have been holding back. Now that the mask is broken, there will be no more holding back. I'm going all out... no matter how dangerous it is."

And then, Judas prepared for his final attack, one that he hoped would be enough to take down Kaziro.

"_Mazewara dareshi inochi ni... ima motarasaren setsuna no kiseki! Toki wo kete... koko ni yuugou seshi mirai he no taidou! **Gishou ken!** Boku wa... kako wo tachikiru... **Majin-Rengoku-Satsu!**_"

Judas fell back, the attack having done more to him than he could recall ever experiencing before. However, he quickly ran forward, and finished off Kaziro with his _Senretsu-Kokousen_.

"Very nice," Kaziro said. "I'll see you again sometime... but this time, I suppose I should join forces with you... remember, my stranglehold on Dymlos is broken, so Stahn... please continue to use that Swordian with just as much proficiency as ever before."

And with that, Kaziro disappeared, fading into a dimension outside Symphonia's.

"Wonder what he meant," Lloyd said. "He says he's joining forces with us, but why would he suddenly decide to do that after just one Majin-Rengoku-Satsu...?"

"Perhaps it was the will of Nebilim," Kratos said. "Nebilim's will holds someone long after his death, and Kaziro happened to be an apprentice of Nebilim's... an heir to his throne, shall we say."

"So it was actually the will of Nebilim that was broken by Majin-Rengoku-Satsu..." Lloyd seemed awed by this knowledge. "That's amazing..."

"Yep," Nanaly said. "Nebilim was the one who held Kaziro all along. And I wouldn't be too surprised if he was also the one who possessed Igtenos and the others."

"I'm sticking with Nanaly," Loni said, grinning.

"You would," Kyle muttered disgustedly.

"Who is this Nanaly chick anyhow?" Zelos asked, turning to Loni. "She's kinda hot, whoever she is."

"That's _my girlfriend_ you're hitting on," Loni growled.

Nanaly scowled. "And for the last friggin' time, I'm not your stinking girlfriend!"

"Oh, so she's the big guy's girlfriend," Zelos said. "Well, in that case, I think I'll leave her alone. Besides, I've got my voluptuous Sheena on my side, don't I?"

Sheena grinned, much to the surprise of the others. "And don't you forget about it!"

"Okay..." Judas stepped slowly away from the others. "I am just going to leave now..."

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Author's Note: I've always thought LonixNanaly made a lot of sense, since Loni is supposed to be the Zelos type and Nanaly is the Sheena type, and of course I'm a big Sheelos fanatic.

I love Execution. Of course, I love Divine Saber even more, but Harold isn't in this fanfic, so...

Remember, this isn't the end of the fanfic. There's still the epilogue to go... expect a stunning conclusion to the romance that has been going on for the entire Rising Shadow series!


	16. Love Has No Boundaries

Crystal Feathers: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Timeline: Based 2 years after 'To Kill An Angel'

Summary: After Niflheim was sealed, Lloyd thought the evils of the world to be dead. The group split up, expecting peace and quiet to reign around the world.

However, they were all in for a big surprise. Two years after Niflheim was sealed, the rising shadow that once concealed the world began to rise again... and now, Lloyd and the others must go on a journey to uncover the cause of the Rising Shadow and seal it away forever.

Pairings: LloydxColette and ZelosxSheena primarily, with some MithosxOC, YggdrasillxPronyma and GenisxPresea. There will also be hints at SelesxOC, YuanxMartel and KratosxRaine.

Author's Note: This is it, guys. This is the end of Crystal Feathers. Maybe not the end of the great Rising Shadow series, but the end of Crystal Feathers.

I'd just like to thank all of you who made this possible, especially adri66215, currently my best friend online. I'd also like to thank Motoi Sakuraba, composer for Tales of Destiny 2 and Tales of Symphonia, for his excellent works, which inspired me to create this fanfic in the first place. And more than anyone else, I'd like to thank StrawberryEggs, for sticking with me till the very end (still my most faithful reviewer).

With all that said and done, let's get this over with.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Destiny/Tales of Destiny 2, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix.

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Epilogue: Love Has No Boundaries

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Judas sighed, gazing out upon the ocean. "It's just so beautiful... like nothing I've ever seen before."

"Yes, it is," Marian said, walking up beside Judas. "The ocean at night is always beautiful."

"I love it," Judas whispered. "It's just... so beautiful..."

"Almost like me, right?" Marian smiled.

Judas turned to face Marian. "No, of course not... nothing's more beautiful than you. Not even the ocean is more beautiful than you..."

"Why, thank you," Marian said. "I could say the same of you."

"So you're saying I'm pretty," Judas said, smirking. "Well, I suppose it's better than some of the things I've been called in the past..."

Marian blushed. "I wasn't implying that, you know..."

"It's okay," Judas said, his smirk fading into a gentle smile. "We're together again, and that's all that matters."

Marian nodded, turning to face the ocean once more.

Judas turned to gaze upon the ocean, looking at the same distant spot Marian was. "The sky is beautiful tonight... Isn't it, Marian...?"

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"Hey, Kyle!" Reala waved to the young swordsman, who was eagerly running in the direction of the Kharlan Tree. "Wait up!"

Kyle glanced back at Reala. "What if I don't want to?"

"Listen to the girl," Loni said, grinning. "You're going way too fast!"

"I'll betcha I'll catch up with ya first!" Nanaly said, picking up speed.

"Settle down, everybody," Lloyd said. "It's not like we're in a hurry to get to the Tree or anything... we just have to visit it like we do every year."

Kyle slowed down. "You've done that since you first defeated Nebilim, right?"

"Yes," Lloyd said. "It has special significance to us. I hope you, being some of the saviors of Symphonia, get used to it fast."

Kyle came to a stop just a few feet before the tree, with Reala walking up beside him and Loni and Nanaly in the back. Lloyd and the others soon followed, looking up at the tree.

"This is the first time I've seen the Tree in person..." Kyle was awed. "To set eyes on the Giant Kharlan Tree leads to good luck, right?"

"That's what is believed," Reala said. "I sure hope it holds true."

Loni grinned. "It'll hold true, at least with us. Trust me."

"So long as _you_ don't cut it down," Nanaly remarked dryly, her comment aimed at Loni.

"Awww, that's just cruel!" Loni exaggerated sorrow. "I don't want to cut down the big trees that save the world! I just wanna cut down the little trees!"

"Shut it, big guy," Sheena said. "You're not gonna get anywhere just by saying that."

"Yeah," Zelos said. "I mean, you cut down trees, and that's enough for us."

Loni frowned. "I'm sure as hell not gonna cut down this tree. I mean, I wouldn't even be able to wield a halberd if it weren't for this baby."

"I wouldn't doubt your statement," Nanaly muttered sarcastically.

Kyle, however, was too entranced by the tree to notice. "It's so beautiful..."

"Yes, it is..." Reala looked up at the tree, smiling. "It's almost as beautiful as Flanoir..."

"It's almost as beautiful as you, Reala..." Kyle whispered, glancing over at Reala. "But then again, nothing is more beautiful than you..."

Reala blushed. "You really think so?"

"Yeah..." Kyle gently reached out and placed an arm around Reala's neck, drawing her closer. "Being with the tree is... almost as perfect as being with you..."

"Why, thank you," Reala said, smiling.

Lloyd, who had been watching Kyle and Reala, suddenly turned to Colette. "You know, Colette, I've been wanting to ask you a question for a while, but I never got around to doing it..."

"Yes?" Colette smiled, anticipating Lloyd's next statement.

"I know you've known me for a long time, and I've never had time to ask you this..." Lloyd reached up his hand. "Colette... will you marry me?"

Colette's smile turned to a wide grin. "Of course!"

"Improper as ever," Kratos muttered, though a smile was on his own face. "Lloyd, that's not how you're supposed to propose to somebody..."

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Author's Note: Admit it, you saw that last part coming from a mile away. It wasn't that hard to see. ;)

Judas and Marian are supposed to be somewhere around Palmacosta. They're not near the tree because they wanted some alone time. Hmm... wonder what they could do in said alone time... ;)

Not as much interaction between Loni and Nanaly as I wanted, but heck, I tried. I don't feel like going back and rewriting the whole thing anyhow.

This concludes Crystal Feathers... but you never know, it may just be barely the beginning!


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